On December 5th 2013, Nelson Mandela passed away. He was the former President of South Africa and an important figure throughout his country, continent and the world. However, it was a long journey for him to get the respect he deserved.

Mandela was born in a small village in South Africa, where he lived with his mother and two sisters. His father had four wives, one of these being Mandela’s mother, and would travel to see them all. These short visits were the only times Mandela got to spend with his father. Mandela was born into a society of apartheid, where native South Africans lived in horrible conditions while white immigrants lived lives of perfection. Mandela, however, thought nothing of this and was taught that the white settlers were good for the country, not bad. He stayed out of any protests against the government until he met the president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), who convinced him that Africans should fight for a “separate, but equal” society. This is similar to the life of Africans in America at the time.

Mandela helped the ANCYL, and later the African National Congress, for the rest of his life. Mandela was caught eventually and was deemed guilty in the Rivonia Trial. He was then sentenced to prison, where he was planned to spend the rest of his life. During his 23 years in prison, Mandela was recognized as a hero around the world. Soon, countries began to stop giving money to South Africa because they thought Mandela was right in creating equality. Eventually, South Africa’s government officials allowed him to leave imprisonment because of their declining economy and, after negotiating with Mandela, ended the apartheid within the next few years. The native South Africans were given the ability to vote for their first time in 1994 and they elected Mandela to be the president of South Africa.

Mandela is regarded as a hero for South Africa, though seemed to drift into the background after presidency. In his later life, he battled many illnesses until one caused his death. He died in his house in South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, surrounded by his family. He was an important figure in history to give equal rights to all and is regarded as one of the most important people in South Africa’s history.