QUNU, South Africa— Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s first democratically elected President, taking office in 1994. Mandela was a political activist who campaigned for most of his life to end apartheid in South Africa and ended up changing the political and racial climate of his nation. But there was a long road of suffering for Mandela before this huge accomplishment: he was in prison for a large portion of his adult life and faced severe opposition when trying to end apartheid. His experiences as a child and young adult ended up influencing his later accomplishments. Here are some images of the young Nelson Mandela–the boy who would turn into one of the most influential and important men in modern history.
Childhood
Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918 in Qunu, South Africa. His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a chief and therefore Mandela was part of the Thembu royalty. Mandela’s father was a polygamist with four wives and thirteen children. Many of Mandela’s younger years were “spent herding the cattle and playing with other boys of the district.” He was the first in his family to attend any school, where he inherited the name “Nelson” at a young age. He attended a Wesleyan School and College, where he completed his Junior Certificate a year early. He then went onto Fort Hare University studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Source: The Famous People
Photo:Daily Mail
Law Studies
After completing his Bachelor of Arts in 1943, Nelson Mandela enrolled at the University of Witwatersrand to began studying law. There, he joined ANC (African National Congress) which was led by Walter Sisulu. He got very involved in the anti-apartheid movement and formed the youth wing of the ANC, the ANCYL, of which he later became president.
Source: The Famous People
Photo: Daily Mail
Boxing
Mandela was an avid boxing fan from a young age. He enjoyed the science behind moving one’s body to protect oneself more than the violence of boxing. Even during his stay in prison, he would exercise or box every morning to release tension and stress.
Source: BBC
Photo: Voices of Africa
First Marriage
Here is Mandela with his first wife, Evelyn Mase, who was a cousin of his political mentor Walter Sisulu. He was 26 and she was 22 when they were married, and they were married 13 years. Mandela had two other wives, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Graca Machel, after his first marriage.
Source: BBC
Photo: NelsonMandela.org
Before Prison
This is a picture of Mandela in the early 1960s, just before he was sentenced to life in prison on Robben Island for sabotage in 1964. There were no photos released of Mandela during his imprisonment, and many people did not even recognize him upon his release. He was transferred twice before being released from Victor Verster Prison in 1990.
Source: NelsonMandela.org
Photo: NPR
– Taylor Prinsen
Sources: Washington Post ,NelsonMandela.org
Feature Image Huffington Post