I decided to dedicate this blog to one of the most profound people of our time, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Today is his 93rd birthday, which appears to be getting much more press in countries other than the United States. This is just a short history of an amazing man, there is so much more that can be written.
Nelson Mandela was born in a small South African village to a local chief and his third wife. He was the first person in his family to receive a western education, and was inspired to study law after witnessing the democracy of African tribal governance at an early age. Mandela became a sought after lawyer in Johannesburg, defending black South Africans against the government’s increasingly unfair treatment, and a key figure of the African National Congress, a political party that sought to unite all Africans and regain their rights and freedom. He participated in boycotts, organized protests, mobilized his people and in turn was labeled an enemy of the state: accused of treason, banned from political involvement, disbarred, and sentenced to life in prison. Mandela’s incarceration brought international attention to the racial injustices of South Africa’s apartheid government sparking the rally cry “Free Nelson Mandela” worldwide.
Mandela served 27 years in prison before his release in 1990 at the age of 72 and was elected the first black President of South Africa in 1994. Although he retired from political life in 1999, Mandela continues to lend his voice towards issues that affect his country and the world at large, such as the AIDS epidemic, poverty, and human rights. He was also instrumental in securing South Africa as the host of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Nelson Mandela is one of the world’s greatest and most admired political leaders and has been honored with numerous awards including the Nobel Peace Prize for he is a shining example of the incredible strength of the human spirit to persevere in the face of adversity for the pursuit of freedom.
Fast Facts
- Nelson Mandela is the youngest son of his father’s four wives, and the only surviving son.
- Mandela’s birth name Rolihlahla means, “to pull a branch of a tree” or “troublemaker”.
- Mandela is named Rolihlahla at birth, given the Western name Nelson at 7 years old by his schoolteacher, then given the name Dalibunga at age 16 after a manhood ceremony, and often referred to as Madiba (the name of his clan) out of respect.
- There were many musical tributes to Nelson Mandela: The British group Special AKA released “Free Nelson Mandela” in 1984; Senegalese artist Youssou N’Dour released the album Nelson Mandela in 1985; a tribute concert in honor of Mandela’s 70th birthday was held atLondon’s Wembley Stadium in 1988.
- Sidney Poitier played Nelson Mandela in the 1997 film “Mandela and De Klerk”.
- Nelson Mandela’s prison number was 46664 — representing that he is the 466th prisoner on Robben Island in 1964.
- Nelson Mandela was an avid boxer and would train several times a week at the Donaldson Orlando Community Centre (DOCC) in Johannesburg.
- Nelson Mandela holds honorary degrees from more than 50 universities around the world.
