On December 5, 2013 the world lost one of its great
leaders. Nelson Mandela passed away at
the age of 95. While all of us impact
the world, very few can claim to have a widespread and substantial influence on
the world that will be felt by endless generations. Mandela’s commitment, perseverance, and
loyalty to the vision of what South Africa could be is remarkable to say the
least.
During his lifetime he actively and non-violently protested against
the legalized segregation of South Africa, spent 27 years in prison, was
elected President of South Africa, and put the country on the path to economic,
social and political reform.
Below is a link to an article which biographies his
life. Please read.
What is something you learned about Mr. Mandela you did not
know before reading the article? What
part of his life do you find most fascinating?
How do you think Nelson Mandela has influenced the world beyond South
Africa?
I learned that Mr. Mandela was the first president of a democratic South Africa and a respected leader of the anti-apartheid movement. I find love one of the most fascinating things in life because only humans love other animals just don't have the same abilities as humans to love. Along with that having that happy feeling of seeing you wife, girlfriend, or friend is just amazing and to think of why we feel that is just fascinating. Mr. Mandela has done so much for South Africa and the world for example he made and amazing statement by being a former political prisoner and breaking that and becoming president. His power of forgiveness and reconcile are one of the most powerful weapons for keeping peace and harmony in South Africa.
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Nelson Mandela
Before I read about Nelson Mandela, I didn't even know who he was. But after reading, I learned about his true character and how important he was to our world. He was a leader in Africa during a time when whites were oppressing the black people, and he fought for equality. I thought that a lot of parts of his life were fascinating. It's amazing how he was able to stay so strong with his beliefs, even after being in prison for so many years. He influenced the world by speaking out against racism and enmity. Other people around the world saw his example and fought against oppression in their own countries.
ReplyDeleteNelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years. That is something that I did not know about him. I knew that he was going to be in prison at some point in his life but I did not know that he was in prison for that long. The most fascinating thing that I now know about him is that he was a protester but also a president. That says a lot about him. His influence affected many people. I think that he made people think that you only live once and to be a go getter.
ReplyDeleteI barely knew anything about who Nelson Mandela was and why he was so important until I read this article. The only things that I knew about Mr. Mandela was that he was the President of South Africa and in prison for 27 years(and that was from class). Every other fact in the article was new to me. I think that he most interesting thing about Mr. Mandela is that even after 27 years in prison, he did not stop his campaign. He continued as president and fought for free and fair elections. Mr. Mandela has inspired countries around the world to fight against unequal rights of all citizens.
ReplyDeleteI new nothing about Nelson Mandela before he died or even before he was on the new, when i first saw him i thought he was Morgan Freeman. Now that i know about him i consider him a goof role model and that he is equivalent or more to any of our president. He did everything he could to end separation in Africa. He is like Abe Lincoln except better all of his attention was on separation.
ReplyDeleteI learned that he was the former South American president and was imprisoned for around 25 years. When he came out he protested peacefully rather than violently. I find that when he came out of prison he was did not want to bomb the rulers, but peacefully talk it out most interesting. He wanted peace and was a big role model to all the other leaders in the world and I realize think that we should all follow his steps one by one.
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I didn't even know who Nelson Mandela was before they announced his death at mass. I've learned that he was arrested for fighting peacefully for equal rights for black people. He was in there for 27 years before he was released, and he surprised everyone by becoming the president. I think it was interesting how when he came out of jail, he became president and wasn't fazed by the fact he went to jail. Since he became president, he had gotten a Noble Peace Prize. He stayed by his beliefs and judgement and that is what got him to where he was. He influenced people by showing them you don't have to fight violently for what you want, and if you stay by what you believe when others are telling you it is wrong, something good will come out of it.
ReplyDeletesomething I learned while reading this article is he was the first black president of South Africa and that he won a Noble Peace Prize. One part of his life that I find very interesting is that in the Rugby World Cup he told his team to cheer for the most hated team and to be that shows a great, kind, and thoughtful man. The way he has influence the world not just South Africa is that he was nice to everyone and he protested in peace and a nonviolent way.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I haven't even heard of Nelson Mandela until about two weeks ago. One thing I did not know about Nelson Mandela was that he had HIV/Aids. I learned that he was South Africa's first black president. Something that was interesting to me about his life was that he was in jail for 27 years, and even though he spent his life in prison for such a long time, he still nonviolently fought for freedom for blacks. He has influenced the world beyond South Africa by telling the world that people can make a change peacefully and nonviolently.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know who Nelson Mandela even was until we learned about him in social studies. After I read the article, I learned about who Nelson Mandela and why he was so important. I learned that he was the First Black President of South Africa. I learned that he fought for blacks' fights and was imprisoned for it. He was put in jail for 27 years. He was put in jail but when he was released, he was elected for President. Being in jail didn't bother Mr. Mandela at all. It didn't change his beliefs for blacks to be equal with whites; it only made him stronger. It is amazing that he was a protester and a president. He didn't force anyone to believe what he believed in; Nelson Mandela just shared what he believed in. This caused others to not feel pressured to choose his side. He didn't protest with violence, he protested with peace. He was a very kind and thoughtful man. He didn't only teach citizens of South Africa to not give up in what you believe in; Nelson Mandela taught the whole world to not give up in what you believe in. Mr. Mandela also taught the world that violence wasn't the answer for anything.
ReplyDeleteI knew who he was before he died, I did not learn anything from this article but i did learn alot from my parent who tought me his name. Truly great man. He did not start riots and protest for he did it in peace. God Bless Nelson Mandela
ReplyDeleteI did not know that Nelson Mandela got divorced twice. I also thought that he was in prison for a straight 27 years, I did not know that those 27 years did not happen all at once. I found it fascinating that he was able to fight without using force. Even when the other side was using force he still fought without using force. I think that in other places he has been a role model for those places leaders. I think that he also influences Adults and children quite a bit also. By using only peace he was a role model for children, showing them that they would not fight with each other. I hope Nelson Mandela has a great time n heaven.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know who he was before I read the article. I was surprised that he stayed in prison for 27 years. That just seems like way too many.I see him as kind of a new version of Martin Luther King Jr. in a sense that he was fighting for equality in a world that never thought it would happen. I think he brought in a sense of fighting in what you believe in back into a world that follows one person. He was such an amazing role model and I hope that when we look back on him we see a man who loved his country and his world.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot in the article. I did not know much about Nelson Mandela. After reading this article I saw that he was a great and wise man. He knew how to fix things without using violence. I think it is interesting that he got arrest and put in jail for 27 years and still kept trying even when things got tough. He showed the world that segregation is the worst crime. He showed everybody that if you preserver peacefully with the right education then you can change the world.
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I didn't know that much about him until i read the article. I thought it was kinda interesting that he got put in prison for 27 years and still kept perservering his ideas. It was cool how he knew ho to resolve things without any violence. I think he really reached out and touched people. Hearing about what he did just makes you want to be a better person.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article one thing i didn't know was that Nelson Mandela was he won the Nobel Peace Price in 1993. What I found most interesting about Nelson Mandela was that he kept going and fought back by becoming president after being in jail for 27 years. Mr. Mandela influenced our world by showing us violence is not the answer and you can stand up to someone peacefully. Lastly he told us to stand by what we believe in even if someone is telling you wrong, something will benefit from it.
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This article was great. I did not know much about Nelson Mandela. I did not know that he went to prison for 27 years. I was fascinated at how well he bounced back from being in prison for 27 years. He has showed that separating of races is not how it should be and that all people are equal. He also showed that we need to be kind to everyone no matter what.
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I thought that have definitely learned a lot more about him. He was an amazing leader for South Africa, he has show greatness. I didn't know he had gone to prison but I found it very interesting that they had put them as their leader even though he had a prison record. I thought it was cool how he was a very respectful and powerful person but I watched a few interviews on YouTube and he seemed so down to earth. I think that it was very amazing how he didn't let being in jail for years break his spirits. He was a great man and he has changed my view on leaders. Rest well Nelson.
ReplyDeleteI learned that Mandela was in prison for 27 years. I think that it was cool that he was South Africa's first "black" president. It's also cool that he won a Nobel Peace Prize. He influenced the world beyond his home by wearing that Springboks shirt, giving the trophy to that team's captain, and attempting to really bridge the gaps between blacks and whites.
ReplyDeleteI had never even heard the name Nelson Mandela before my mom told me he died and then said " You're kidding me!" when I said "Who's that?" After I learned more about him I found it amazing that he would pursue equality after doing time for 27 years. It definitely paid off in the end when he received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was a very influencial leader who left his mark on the world. May Nelson Mandela Rest In Peace
ReplyDeleteNelson Mandela did many amazing things in his life. Many things that he did were life changing to the world, not just South Africa. Honestly, when I first heard that Nelson Mandela had died, I hadn't even heard his name before. After that I learned a little bit about how he was in prison and wanted to end segregation, but it was when I read the blog and the article that I knew a ton more than I had before. I had no idea that he was married multiple times and that he was elected as the first "black" South African president. What most fascinates me is that after he was in prison for 27 years, he got out and didn't give up his dream for blacks and whites to be treated equal. He knew that when he got out of prison, the world would expect him to fight back with violence and hatred; he didn't do that. He knew that violence wasn't the answer and so he fought back with peace. I think that he influenced the world in great ways. I think that the world has seen Nelson Mandela fight for equal rights no matter what he went through and took that into thought, learning that, you can do things the world doesn't want you to do in your own special ways and still succeed like he did. Nelson Mandela changed the world's way of thought as he fought his battles with love.
ReplyDeleteLike Cecilia, I had never even heard of the name of Nelson Mandela, but after reading about him, I now know that he is was a very important person. He fought against segregation and it takes a lot of guts to do that. And, after having those guts to do it, he got thrown in prison for 27 years! Wow! Just for fighting for what you think and know is right? I know for a matter of fact that he will be going to Heaven, and may he live with God forever.
ReplyDeleteI had not heard of Nelson Mandela until last Tuesday at Mass, which really surprises me now that I know how much he dedicated his life to bringing peace to the people of South Africa. I was surprised after reading the article how much time he spent in prison, yet never gave up his fight for what he believed in. He has shown us that one person can make a big difference. There is still so much racial hatred in the world, and Mr. Mandela gives us hope for a peaceful world.
ReplyDeleteI had not heard much about Nelson Mandela, but from what I heard he fought for freedom in South Africa. I think it's amazing how Nelson kept fighting against segregation even though he would get put in jail. Nelson was an inspiration to not only the people in South Africa but lots of other people. Nelson has inspired people to fight for what is right, and he is a great role model for all of us. We will miss him and what he did for South Africa and fighting for segregation.
ReplyDeleteBefore this article came out, I didn't know of a Nelson Mendela that has ever walked this dart. So, I learned a lot such as: the good he did, his time in jail, and his community service. The part in his life that I find the most fascinating part of his life was that a man who wanted everyone to be equal went into jail for 20 plus years. He has totally changed the world, his goal was for everyone t be treated the same, i think that we are almost their. he has taught people around the world to be kind to one another and treat each other fairly.
ReplyDeletei finally figured out who Nelson Mandela is. I found how he wanted everyone to be equal and got thrown in jail because of that most fascinating. He has taught the world that everyone is equal and we should treat each other with respect.
DeleteI really had no idea who Nelson Mandela was until I saw him on the news, so basically everything I read was new to me. I found that the section titled "A born 'troublemaker'" was the most fascinating because it told about Mandela's early life and childhood. I think Nelson is really like a modern Martin Luther King Jr., and we all know what he did for equal rights.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read about who Nelson Mandela really is I read that he was never ever really appreciated for trying to bring black people and white people together and to reunite Africans as one united nation. I also know that when Mandela got out of jail he didnt go crazy and try to start a war. He protested peacefully. If I was locked up in jail for a long time Im pretty darn sure that I would attempt to start a war. But that big characteristic he had made him such a great leader.
ReplyDelete- Rest In Peace Mr. Mandela.
After reading the article one thing I did not know was that Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. What I found most interesting about Nelson Mandela was that he kept going and fought back by becoming president after being in jail for 27 years.Nelson Mandela influenced our world by showing us violence is not the answer and you can stand up for your self. Lastly he told us to stand by what we believe even if someone is telling you wrong, something will come out of it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know at all who he was until we talked about him in social studies. I think the fact that he stood up for what he thought was right was fascinating. I also think it is very fascinating how he went from being in prison to being the president of the country. I think he taught our world to look beyond the color of a persons skin. And compassion should be practiced by all people.
ReplyDeleteBefore I read this, I didn't even know who Nelson Mandela was; except for the one time we talked little about him in social studies. I learned that he was the first "black" man elected as president for South Africa, married multiple times, how he stood up for the rights of black people, and his time in prison. The part of his life I find most fascinating is how all he and other blacks wanted was to be treated equal and he ended up being in jail for 27 years. Nelson Mandela has influenced the world beyond South Africa by showing us if you really want to see something change, even if all the odds are against you, you can still do it. He did it even after being in prison for 27 years and his outcome was being the president of South Africa. Nelson Mandela was a true inspiration to this world.
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