Activist, lawyer, father, prisoner, survivor, president, the face of equality. Nelson Mandela has an inspiring story of fighting against the forces of apartheid and surviving a long prison sentence, all in the name of freedom and equal rights. Through Nelson Mandela's constant struggle for the freedom of the African people from the white forces of apartheid, Nelson Mandela was dominated by the corrupt government. After raising numerous riots against the forces of apartheid, Mandela was sent to prison for twenty-seven years, revealing the cruelty that human beings can possess. Thanks to strong willpower and the complete support of the African people, Mandela survived his prison sentence and became the first democratically elected president of South Africa, exposing the strength of human nature by demonstrating that human beings can persevere in difficult times. Mandela left a profound impact on the African people by saving them from the corrupt apartheid regime and creating a democratic government. Thus teaching the world that in an event where a group of people are repressed, they will inevitably rebel by any means necessary to gain their freedom. /unjust actions along with persistent medical disorders later in his life. Over the course of four years, from 1960 to 1964, Mandela had to find the strength and will to persevere through the roller coaster of events. Mandela's affiliation with the African National Congress allowed him to organize supporters and protest inequality between blacks and whites in Africa, and to draw attention to the abuses that blacks have been forced to endure for too long. The constant back and forth turmoil between apartheid supporters and freedom protestors has caused a snowfall...... middle of paper ......a Middle Eastern country? Would similar things/punishments occur? Works Citedde Zayas, Alfred. "Nelson Mandela." Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. Ed. Dinah L. Shelton. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. Gale biography in context. Network. 11 March 2012. Humanitarians and reformers. New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, 1999. Print. Keller, Bill. Tree Shaker: The Nelson Mandela Story. Boston: Kingfisher, 2008. Print.Mandela, Nelson and Nelson Mandela. Mandela: An Illustrated Autobiography. Boston: Little, Brown, 1996. Print.McKenna, Amy. The 100 most influential world leaders of all time. New York, NY: Britannica Educational Pub. in association with Rosen Educational Services, 2010. Print."Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale biography in context. Network. March 11. 2012.