Nelson Mandela: The Troublemaker Who Changed the World

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

Once, a young boy named Rolihlahla growing up in a small African village. As the revered child of a royal family, his earliest years were spent without a care in the world. The boy, whose name means “troublemaker” in his language, occupied his time playing with his friends, running through the fields, and using sticks to fight imaginary battles with cows. 

When he was seven, he became the first person in his family to attend school for formal education. It was in the Christian mission school that his teacher gave him the name Nelson, as it was a common English name and easier for people to pronounce. It was also the place where he first saw that the world outside his village wasn’t fair. The boy was Nelson Mandela, the future president of his country of South Africa. He would become a leader in the fight to rid the nation of a terrible rule called apartheid.

What Was Apartheid?

Simply put, Apartheid was Jim Crow amped up to a nationwide scale. Like Jim Crow, the policy was upheld and normalized by South African law that separated people by the color of their skin. It treated ethnic Black people unfairly, giving them fewer rights and opportunities. They couldn’t live in the same places as white people, go to the same schools, or even use the same bathrooms. Sound familiar? 

Like Black people enduring Jim Crow in the USA, Black South Africans also knew this was wrong. Including Nelson Mandela, who decided to fight for a world where everyone was treated equally. But first, he would complete his formal education at the University of Witwatersrand, where he earned his law degree and began his career as a lawyer in Johannesburg.

Stepping Up and Standing Up

In 1943, 25-year-old Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC wanted to end apartheid peacefully. Nelson traveled all over the country, giving speeches and organizing protests, such as the 1952 Defiance Campaign, for which he first gained national prominence. But the government wouldn’t listen, and violence in the country escalated.

On March 21, 1960, peaceful protesters at the Sharpeville Police Department in Transvaal Province were fired upon without warning by police officers. In the end, 91 people were murdered, and 238 people were injured as a result of the 1,344 rounds fired into the crowd. 

The next year, Mandela, leader of the Transvaal chapter of the ANC, co-founded the paramilitary uMkhonto we Sizwe (Mk). With that act, he abandoned his 20-year goal of relying exclusively on non-violent measures to end apartheid. 

A Lifetime Behind Bars

Unsurprisingly, the Mk’s carefully planned acts of sabotage attracted the attention of the government. However, the government’s response was not as carefully planned. Due to his prominence as a leader of the ANC, Nelson Mandela became a target as well. In 1962, he was arrested for inciting workers to strike and leaving the country illegally. In 1964, he was put on trial. During the trial, he delivered the incredible “I Am Prepared To Die” speech. The three hour speech ended with the infamous line: “It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” Little did he know just how far the South African government would go in its attempts to accommodate him. 

The court sentenced him to life in prison. The 46-year-old spent the next 27 years locked up, mostly on Robben Island, where conditions were extremely harsh, especially for Black prisoners. But even from his tiny cell, his spirit was not broken. He continued to be a symbol of hope and resistance for not only his fellow prisoners, but people all over the world. He became a hero even while in prison.

A Free Man and a New Beginning

On February 11, 1990, the world watched in awe as the then-73-year-old Nelson Mandela walked out of prison as a free man. But his work wasn’t finished. He knew that the country was angrily divided and needed to heal. He began to work with the government to end apartheid and create a new, fair South Africa.

Just four years later, in 1994, South Africa held its first-ever democratic election where people of all races could vote. Nelson Mandela was chosen to be the new president. He was the first Black president of South Africa, and his victory was a moment of pure joy and hope for millions of people.

Building a Rainbow Nation

As president, Nelson Mandela could have easily sought revenge on the people who had put him in prison. Instead, he worked tirelessly to bring everyone together. He called South Africa the “Rainbow Nation” because it was made up of so many different kinds of people, all living together in harmony.

To that end, he started programs to build new homes, bring clean water to communities, and improve schools. He also created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that helped people share their stories of suffering and forgiveness. One of his most famous moments was when he wore the jersey of the South African rugby team. Rugby had been a symbol of the white minority. Mandela showed that everyone was now part of one nation.

A Legacy of Hope

After one term as president, Nelson Mandela stepped down, proving that a true leader knows when it’s time to let others lead. He spent the rest of his life as a global hero, fighting for human rights, peace, and education. He started charities to help children and fight diseases like AIDS.

When he passed away on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95, the world mourned for a man who had taught us that courage, forgiveness, and hope are more powerful than anger. Nelson Mandela’s legacy is a shining example for us all—he showed how a “troublemaker” can change the world.