Nelson Mandela’s Release from Prison

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Nelson Mandela’s Release from Prison On February 11, 1990, after 27 years of wrongful imprisonment, South African lawyer and political leader Nelson Mandela was finally released. This historic action reaped world-wide applause and discussion. After 42 years of battling apartheid, South Africa was finally within reach of being a nation that granted freedom and equality for all. Nelson Mandela was ready to deliver a speech that would ensure this freedom for his country and his people. “A tall, distinguished-looking gentleman got out of the car and waved to the crowd. Thousands of people cheered, shouting “Amandla!” After twenty-seven years, six months, and one week in prison, Nelson Mandela was free. He was seventy-one years old.” (Roberts) Nelson Mandela uses pathos and logos, along with his credible personal history of battling racial inequality, to inspire his South African audience to continue the righteous fight to end apartheid. Acknowledging the past racial injustices committed against his people, he firmly encourages them to reconcile with the tragic past so that they can look to their new future and pursue a healthy relationship of peace and unity between all races and all men living in South Africa. Deep racial prejudices between whites and blacks was not only prevalent in the southern states of America 50 years ago, but in all parts of the world...including South Africa. “Nelson Mandela grew up in a segregated society. In many places around the world, laws forced blacks to use separate facilities and attend separate schools.” (Gaines 54) For nearly half a century, the black communities in South Africa faced great injustice and racial discrimination. These “injustices” became official in 1948 when the South African government “...began to pass laws that created a new system called apartheid. Apartheid is a term Afrikaners coined, meaning apartness. It

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