Nelson Mandela For President

Photograph of Nelson Mandela in front of a group of children, surrounded by a border of white text on a green background.

Nelson Mandela was famous around the world for being a Nobel Peace Prize winner and the first black president of South Africa. His career started in 1944 when he began work as an anti-apartheid activist. Soon after, Mandela became a revered leader in the black community and was incarcerated for his work by the South African government from 1964 to 1982. 

In the early 1990s, Mandela negotiated with then President of South Africa F.W. de Klerk to help end the nation’s discriminatory apartheid system. For their efforts they were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.  Mandela was elected president of South Africa in 1994 and served one term that lasted until 1999.  Mandela was credited with bringing together a once divided nation through his efforts to investigate human rights violations under apartheid, and to introduce education and economic development initiatives to the black community.  Although he is now deceased, Mandela remains an international figure and is internationally known for his efforts towards peace and social justice.