Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is judged to be one of the greatest political leaders of modern times. Among his many accomplishments are the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for his dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa and establishing democracy there and becoming the president of South Africa in 1994 following their first multiracial elections. Nelson was born as the foster son of a Thembu chief in Umtata (now the province of Eastern Cape) …showed first 75 words of 417 total…

…showed last 75 words of 417 total…been oppressed for so long by the system of apartheid. Nelson Mandela continues to inspire people everywhere. He is viewed as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality. He stands for the triumph of dignity and hope over despair and hatred and of love over persecution and hatred. At age seventy-eight he still remains a major political figure in South Africa where he enjoys his twenty-one grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.