Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was an amazing person. He was determined, cheerful, and always looked in the bright side. Today in class, we made a collage of pictures about a person we think influenced us the most. I chose Nelson Mandela because he was the first coloured South African president. This means a lot to me because my whole family, excluding my brother and I, are from South Africa. This means that Nelson Mandela influenced me a lot. I answered some questions about what I think of Nelson Mandela.

Birthdate/Lifespan: July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013

Country of birth: Mvezo, South Africa

Occupation: Former South African President

What did this person do that was particularly influential?
Nelson Mandela changed so much about South Africa. For example, he made it so that both white and coloured people have the same amount of rights. He also severed 27 years in prison. He went to prison because he was planning to bomb a couple building, however, he was going to make sure that no one was injured. He was then seen as a terrorist, so her was put into jail.

What characteristics do you think made them influential?
Nelson Mandela was very determined on having equal rights for all people. He never gave up, even when he was sentenced to a lifetime in prison.

How did people react to the changes or ideas that this individual had?
At first, lots of people stood behind him and supported him. However, soon he became seen as a terrorist, and people were scared of him. Then, when it was known that he went to prison, everybody wanted him out, because now they all knew that he was fighting for equal rights. The pressure of the public forced the government into releasing him, and shortly after he was elected the first coloured president of South Africa.

Explain any experiences or thoughts that had influenced this individual.
I think the the biggest influence on Nelson Mandela was when he went to prison. I think so because he was originally going to be in prison his entire life, but was released by the public. This showed him that there were thousands and thousands of people that supported him, and he even became the president. I think that this influenced him because it showed him that he could do anything.

If you could ask this person one question, what would it be?
If I could ask this person anything, I think that it would be; What were you thinking when you got out of prison?

Nelson Mandela is one of the most famous influencers, and I hope this gives you a better understanding of who he was.

-Lauren🌹