Nelson Mandela

South African Activist

Nelson Mandela was South Africa's first democratically elected president (1994-1999). Mandela was an anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader, as well as a philanthropist with an abiding love for children.

in 1944, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) – a political group that strived for equal rights for whites and blacks. In 1948 the South African government introduced a system called ‘apartheid’, which furthered the country’s racial divide even more. Under new racist laws, black people and white people were forced to lead separate lives. They weren’t allowed to live in the same areas, share a table in a restaurant, attend the same schools or even sit together on a train or bus.

He activated for against this which made him very unpopular with the authorities, and Nelson was arrested for treason. After being let out of prison he won the Nobel Peace Prize and became the president of South Africa.