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Overview

Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom (1994), is a first-person account of his life until he became the president of South Africa. It includes his childhood and development into a political activist. He was imprisoned for 27 years before negotiating with the government to end apartheid by becoming president in 1994.

Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 and was originally named Rolihlahla. He attended a British school at the age of seven, where he began to be called Nelson. His father counseled kings, but had an argument with a local magistrate that cost him his special status, which led to economic hardships for the family. When Mandela was nine years old, his father died.

Nelson Mandela and his mother moved to Qunu so that she could have the support of friends there. Soon after, Mandela was invited to live with a regent who had once helped his father gain power. Although he missed his mother, Mandela loved this man who took care of him for 10 years before sending him off to school.

Mandela was close to the regent’s son, Justice. They went to school together and Mandela looked up to him as a role model. Although he sometimes felt out of place at court, he enjoyed watching the regent in action and discussing issues with his constituents. The regent always listened carefully before making decisions that were fair for everyone involved. This influenced Mandela’s leadership style greatly.

At age 16, Mandela went to boarding school where he continued his British education. He enrolled at Wesleyan College in Fort Beaufort when he was 19 years old and later transferred to the University of South Africa (UNISA) after being expelled from Wesleyan for participating in a student protest against racial segregation.

During a summer break in 1941, Mandela and Justice learned that they were to be married. They rejected this fate for different reasons. Both of them ran away from the regent (king) to Johannesburg in order to find jobs and education. In Johannesburg, Mandela learned new skills while working at a law firm by candlelight late into the night. The regent paid him a visit but died six months later. Mandela finished his degree during 1942

As a lawyer, Mandela began to get involved with the African National Congress (ANC). He attended his first march and shortly after became an active member of that organization. The ANC’s platform was that black Africans should be full citizens in South Africa, even though there were more blacks than whites in the country.

In the 1940s, the head of the African National Congress was Dr. Xuma. He wasn’t a militant and preferred peace over war. However, many young people like Mandela felt that they needed to be more radical in their methods for social change. In 1944, these young members officially formed a Youth League of the ANC (African National Congress). While Mandela’s beliefs were already quite militant at this point, he still had not committed himself fully to activism as his full-time job and family took up most of his time.

By 1946, he had become more political. He helped organize strikes and formed alliances with other groups to achieve short-term goals. Mandela studied for a law degree in 1947 while also serving as an ANC representative.

In 1948, white nationalists gained control of the South African government. They instituted a policy called apartheid that was based on racial segregation and discrimination.

After the ANC (African National Congress) successfully orchestrated a strike in 1950, the government viewed them as an enemy. Mandela was a senior member at this point and had responsibilities that he felt were consuming him. He was having trouble balancing his family life with his politics. His children didn’t realize he lived with them because they saw him so little.