July 17, 2009 - Posted by Connie Lam
Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pa., July 4, 1993.
This Saturday marks the 91st birthday of Nelson Mandela, civil rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president of South Africa.
Considered the most influential Black leader in South African history, Nelson Mandela was instrumental in ending apartheid, a stringent system of legalized racial segregation. He began his activism in the 1940s as a member of the pro-Black political party, African National Congress (ANC), which led anti-apartheid campaigns for decades.
In 1964, after two decades of civil rights protests, Mandela was arrested for his involvement in the ANC eventually spending 27 years in prison as a political prisoner. While incarcerated, Mandela maintained a strong moral commitment to racial equality, refusing to compromise his ideals in exchange for his freedom.
By 1990, anti-apartheid groups had gained significant domestic and international support, leading President F.W. de Klerk to reverse a national ban on anti-apartheid organizations and release Mandela from prison. Upon his release, Mandela resumed leadership of ANC, which began negotiations with the ruling National Party under President de Klerk and other groups to end apartheid. He was awarded the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership.
In 1993, the negotiating groups came to an agreement, and a transitional constitution setting up democracy in South Africa was ratified. In the country's first multiracial elections held on April 27, 1994, Mandela was elected president of South Africa. He served as president from 1994 to 1999.
Since Mandela's political retirement in 1999, he has become a powerful advocate for various international humanitarian efforts, including the Make Poverty History campaign, which pressures governments to reduce poverty; SOS Children's Villages, which provides family care for orphaned and abandoned children; and 46664, a campaign for global HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. The number 46664 was Mandela's identification number in prison. Mandela also founded the Nelson Mandela Foundation to promote social justice by preserving historical documents and resources and convening dialogue around critical issues.
Nelson Mandela remains one of the most respected and influential humanitarians in the world. His unbending resolve and success against all odds continues to inspire new generations of civil rights advocates. In his words, "There is no such thing as part freedom."
Categories: Civil Rights History, Human Rights
