Manika Bhatt Ms. Choi English 11 17 April 2023 Civil Disobedience Final Paper The name of this civil disobedience is Anti-Apartheid. A key figure that fought for anti-apartheid was Nelson Mandela. The Anti-Apartheid movement started on June 26, 1959, and ended in the year of 1994. The cause of Anti-Apartheid movement, a movement that was created after the South African National Party Government won the election and made the system of racial segregation through legislation. One person can improve society if they educate the public about the problem and inform them about what can be done to solve that problem, along with fighting for what they know is right. Nelson Mandela engaged in civil disobedience by fighting for a better world while negotiating …show more content…
In the article “Mandela's Speech Upon Release from Prison (1990)” Nelson Mandela states, “Today, the majority of South Africans, black and white, recognize that apartheid has no future...There must be an end to white monopoly on political power and a fundamental restructuring of our political and economic systems to ensure that the inequalities of apartheid are addressed, and our society thoroughly democratized...Our march toward freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way.."(Mandela). Mandela talks about how much effort they put in to get their freedom and get their society equal. From the article “Nelson Mandela, 1918 - 2013; Anti-Apartheid Icon Reconciled a Nation” by Robyn Dixon she states, “Mandela was an inspiration to millions of blacks seeking to end the oppression of more than four decades of apartheid, and his continued incarceration spawned international censure of South Africa's white-minority government.”(Dixon). Mandela inspired millions of blacks by trying to end apartheid, and his incarceration led to censure of white people in South Africa. The impact of this civil disobedience was Mandela was put into prison for trying to sabotage a major government movement. The result of this civil disobedience was apartheid came to an end and Nelson Mandela became a major key figure and eventually at the age of 75 he became the president of South
This essay compares and contrast the following two readings: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Junior and “Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela. This essay will prove why Martin Luther King’s method for achieving justice for all is the most compelling and why. Martin Luther King’s method is effective because it peacefully allows the issue to be known and ultimately leads to the possibility of negotiating. In addition, this method also invites people who normally would not get involved in civil rights issues to get involved. Nelson Mandela’s method is not effective because it makes the oppressed as guilty as the oppressors and makes people less open to negotiating.
Document 6 is an excerpt of Nelson’s speech after his release from prison on February 11, 1996. In this speech, he states that the people of South Africa need to come together to end apartheid, and shape a new South Africa that has less suffering, peace, and racial harmony. This document was written from the point of view of Nelson Mandela. Nelson led mass protests and boycotts during the peak of apartheid, got arrested and eventually got released to become the first elected black president of South Africa. He was the face of the fight against apartheid.
It is out of the selfless act of heroes and heroines of civil disobedience such as Mahatma Gandhi that the society is enjoying the fruits today. This speech is going to demonstrate how civil disobedience has played roles in social reforms, containing unjust rulings
Consequently, those protesting an issue must work to bring about change earnestly through truly believing in their cause. Henry David Thoreau shared this sentiment in his “Civil Disobedience”, writing that one person who maintains their beliefs can change the world “For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once done well is done forever.” Though while not all peaceful protests are successful enough to inspire true change, many of today’s free societies were inspired by those that did. Mohandas K. Gandhi was able to coerce the South African Boer government to “end the most objectionable parts of the registration law” and convince the British to grant India its independence from Britain”(Gandhi and Civil DIsobedience”). Therefore, it only takes one individual to inspire a change in the world because “Without their courage those injustices would never have received the attention required to compel national action” (“Civil Discourse and Petitioning”).
Martin Luther King Jr. is a great example of Civil Disobedience because of his movement and how he made social progress with their civil rights. His Civil Right movement used nonviolent civil disobedience techniques to get their civil rights just as other whites already had. In this example the disobedience lead to social progress and allowed them to be seen as equal to the government with no laws against colored, religions, or races. Probably the most well known acts of civil disobedience would be the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773.
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for being apart of the African National Congress and speaking out against the government. After he was released, he was elected the first Black President of South Africa. He negotiated with the white government, saying "the ANC will not suspend, to say nothing of abandoning, the armed struggle until the government shows its willingness to surrender the monopoly of political power" (Document E). Mandela spoke for the black population of South Africa, asking the government to share political power with acknowledged black leaders in the nation. He was an admirable figure in the movement to end the apartheid, and the cry "Free Mandela" was heard throughout South Africa.
Civil Disobedience Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society. Without peaceful resistance, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s peaceful protests on Civil Right’s, African American citizens would not have the right’s that they unquestionably deserve. Also, many others would not have the ability to accomplish the things that they can today. Aggressive and pernicious disobedience only leads to downfalls and violence in our society, but placid and peaceful disobedience, make America the free country that it is today.
From Rosa Parks to Martin Luther King Jr. there was a lot of civil disobedience acts that turned out to be for the better. There has been thousands of people that has changed or impacted the society using peaceful resistance. In the "letter from a Birmingham jail" Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. talks about how broken promises were made to the black community not only in Birmingham but everywhere. For example the white community of Birmingham promised to remove the racial signs but did not.
Let's take the classic examples of civil disobedience in the 1960s. Peaceful protesters such as men who conducted sit-ins in restaurants and Martin Luther King Jr.'s walk on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on his walk from Selma to Montgomery were
He fought for a change, and was put in jail for his protests. Later he became president of South Africa. He wanted for blacks and whites to live together in harmony, so that is what he risked his life and freedom for. Mandela was a peaceful protester, and civil rights activist who helped end apartheid. Desmond Tutu also contributed to the end of apartheid.
Mandela also opened South Africa’s first black law firm. As a form of resistance, in 1961 Mandela created an organization called Spear of the Nation (History.com Staff). He did this because the government had banned the ANC. Throughout the years, he was involved in several peaceful protests and when people realized that wasn’t going to change anything, they resorted to more extreme measures. Armed protests and public speeches about the injustice happening in the racially divided South Africa were carried out.
I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.” When he says this it gives people an emotional connection to how Mandela feels about racial discrimination and apartheid. Mandela simply wants a United South Africa with no discrimination. It shows his moral and his values. Mandela came into the courtroom not to plead guilty, but to plead not guilty.
Nelson Mandela had a lot of courage when he started his first law practice in 1952 and joined the African National Congress to help black South Africans improve their lives. The South African government didn't like this and he broke the Apartheid laws, which got him into prison from 1962 to 1990. Nelson Mandela's early years taught him, among other things, to never give up. In 1918, Mandela's father led a large tribe known as Thembu in a revolt against British rule. The British prevailed, but Mandela's father lost his chieftainship and wealth.
For example, Martin Luther King Jr. changed history through his disobedience while advocating for the rights of African Americans. A quote from Find Law says, “King used civil disobedience as a means of effectuating government change. It took the form of large-scale, non-violent refusal to obey government commands.” This shows his disobedience was to change the unjust rules of society. He executed this through his non-violent refusals.
One key figure who impacted the South African Apartheid positively was Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was born, “July 18, 1918” (Britannica Biographies 1). His father was “Chief Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa” (Harris 108). At the age of nine his father died and “Mandela had access to the best education a black youth could have, attending Clarkesbury Boarding Institute, Healdtown College, and University College of Fort Hare” (Britannica Biographies 2).