My Hero: Nelson Mandela
By Eric Vos
•Circumstances Under
Which Mandela
Became a Hero
•How Mandela
Became a Hero
•Mandela Becomes
a Hero
•Why Nelson Mandela
Is My Hero
•The Future for
Nelson Mandela
Circumstances Under Which Mandela Became a Hero
•What was Mandela fighting against?
apartheid – a whole body of laws
that separated blacks from whites.
•What was the extent of
apartheid in South Africa?
A little under 20% of South
Africans were white = large
minority.
How Mandela Became a Hero
•Elected deputy president of African
National Congress (ANC) in 1952
•Freedom movement forced to turn
to armed struggle – Umkhonto.
However, physical violence was
never advocated in this movement.
•Sentenced to life in prison on
charges of sabotage
How Mandela Became a Hero
•When in jail for 27 years, Mandela was offered time and
again his freedom if he would simply renounce the
violence. He never did. He only renounced the violence
upon being freed.
•Mandela never lost hope. He remembers playing Creon in
Sophocles’ “Antigone.” He enjoyed Greek plays, taking from
them that “a hero was a man who would not break even under
the most trying circumstances.”
Mandela Becomes a Hero
•Known as “the most famous prisoner in the world”
•Began secretly negotiating with the government his
release
•Instrumental in creating a pure democratic
government in South Africa and toppling apartheid
•Wins first all-race presidential election in South
African history in 1994
Mandela Becomes a Hero
“This is one of the
most important
moments in the life of
our country. I stand
before you filled with
deep pride and joy —
pride in the ordinary,
humble people of this
country. You have
shown such a calm,
patient determination
to reclaim this
country as your own.
And joy that we can
loudly proclaim from
the rooftops: Free at
last!”
http://www.cnn.com/resources/video.almanac/1994/mandela/freeatlast.45.mov
Why Nelson Mandela Is My Hero
Mandela holds every intrinsic heroic trait:
•He is a virtuous person and a good role model to those
with bleak futures in their midst.
•His determination is an example of inspiration to
everyone.
•His wife, Winnie, indicates his constant selflessness: “If
you became involved in our cause as he was, it was just
not possible to think in terms of yourself at all.”
•His achievements are truly extraordinary.
The Future For Nelson Mandela
“There should be no tensions
in any region in which we have
not emerged as the majority
party. Let us stretch out our
hands to those who have
bitterness and to say to them:
‘We are all South Africans, we
have had a good fight. But
now this is the time to heal the
old wounds and to build a new
South Africa.’”
http://www.cnn.com/resources/video.almanac/1994/ma
ndela/healwounds.31.mov