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Nelson Mandela always seemed destined for leadership. His middle name, Rolihlahla, means 'troublemaker' in his native Xhosa language and for decades he was just that for South Africa's apartheid government. Born on July 18, 1918, to a hereditary Xhosa chief in the small village of Mvezo, he was in the vanguard of the struggle against white minority rule. Even before he was sentenced to life imprisonment for trying to overthrow the regime, his legendary underground exploits earned him the nickname of the Black Pimpernel. His 27 years in jail were bleak ones, but in 1990, with internal and external resistance to Pretoria reaching a crescendo, Mandela was finally released. Four years later, he was elected as his country's first black president in its first democratic election. The rest, of course, is history.

 
 
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  • Posted By: riverwild @ 07/22/2008 4:00:54 PM

    Nelson Mandela, an individual who has stood against the tallest walls of oppression and beaten them down, has again, near the end of his life, has created hope for countless others.

  • Posted By: dehasi @ 07/18/2008 11:02:12 AM

    Nelson Mandela should be an inspiration to us all. What an amazing man! Let us hope that with the legacy of this great man and others like him - Martin Luther King; that the world will become a better place and people more tolerant and accepting of every race, color and culture. Everyone is human and deserves respect. Nelson, you are an incredible individual!

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