My Hero: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
My hero is one of the greatest men who lived in the twenty first century. His name is Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was born in South Africa on the 18th of July 1918 and passed away on the 5th of December 2013. He was an anti-apartheid icon, a politician and in his old age a philanthropist. Coming from a humble village he rose to be a force to be reckoned with in the fight against apartheid and racial discrimination in South Africa.
My hero was willing to risk his life and even pay the ultimate sacrifice, that is, death for the fight against racial discrimination and inequality. He believed in the equality of all men and women regardless of the color of their skin or race. He was jailed for 27 years (1962 to 1990) in Robben Island for leading the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC) which opposed the apartheid regime in South Africa. After being released from prison, in 1994 he was elected the president of his beloved country, in essence achieving what he had been fighting for all his life: freedom, equality and dignity for all South Africans.
Instead of choosing revenge for his jailers and oppressors he chose forgiveness and reconciliation. Through this choice he showed all of us that we could live together as brothers and sisters without seeking revenge and make this world a better place for us and future generations.
After retiring from active politics in 1999, he remained steadfast in advocating for peace, equality, and social justice in the world and more importantly the fight to eradicate HIV/AIDS and the stigma that comes with it.
Mandela life exemplified courage, hope, wisdom and the triumph of courage over fear, reconciliation over revenge.