Nelson Mandela
Ash Samuel
Accomplishments
Nelson Mandela achieved a susbstantial amount of success throughout his life. He attends college at Witwatersrand in 1949. Nelson Mandela then goes on to co-found the ANC Youth League alongside Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu. In 1951, Mandela was elected president of the ANC Youth League. Through the Defiance Campaign Mandela was able to open South Africa's first Black law firm in Johannesburg. Mandela devises the "M Plan", which was a future plan if ever the ANC was banned. In 1960 the ANC was banned and the Mandela was arrested. In 1990, The ANC is unbanned and Mandela is released. He goes onto win a Nobel Peace prize in 1993. Nelson Mandela becomes the first democratic president of South Africa. In 2013, Mandela passes away at the age of 95.
Significance to the Anti-Apartheid Movement
Mandela influenced and had a huge role in the Anti-Apartheid Movement. Mandela was able to persuade the party leaders to adopt the Youth's League's radical Progamme of Action. Mandela later turned the Progamme of Action into a political reality through the defiance campaign. Although the Defiance Capaign ultimately got Mandela arrested, he was able to sit his attorney admission examinations and open South Africa's first Black law firm in Johannesburg, in partnership with Oliver Tambo. Mandela was able to convince the ANC to ally with other anti-apartheid organizations. Mandela's "M" Plan was a fallback for the ANC, if they were to be banned. Mandela before being arrested tried to tell the government to admit their errors and create a democratic government representing all South Africans. This idea was not put to use until 3 decades later.
References
Nelson Mandela's first TV interview (1961)