Nelson Mandela Research Paper

Imagine a world where you were treated poorly because of the color of your skin. A world where the government is working against you. This is what was happening in South Africa before Nelson Mandela put it to a stop. He fought against many unequal things directed towards the non-whites and he was a civil rights leader. Because he fought against apartheid, put others first, and was determined to help non-whites, Mandela deserves the status of hero. Nelson Mandela was proved to be a heroic figure because of his efforts to help the minority in South Africa and stop apartheid. At his trial in 1964, Mandela stated, "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live

At one point in his life, Mandela was not a pacifist and some might think this is a reason to not call him a hero. He was compared to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., who were pacifists, and it made it seem like Mandela should not be considered a “civil rights icon”. (www.cnn.com) Though Mandela was not always a pacifist, he changed his ways and moved on to a more peaceful path. We are all human and make mistakes, so if we can’t forgive and forget the past, no one in this world should be considered a hero. Not even Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. Another thing people might not like about Nelson Mandela is that he fought to overthrow a pro-apartheid government (www.bbc.co.uk). But, if he never overthrew the government, non-whites would still be facing unequal rights and segregation. Mandela only did this out of the good of his heart and he did it for other people. He might not have made perfect choices all of the time but in the end, Nelson Mandela helped so many South Africans. Without his heroic efforts, discrimination towards South Africans might have continued to happen to this very