Freedom is very important in this world and allows an equal opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom also always the ability to do whatever you want without someone telling you what you can or cannot do. Mandela obtains freedom by creating a campaign that focused on racism and freedom and to work on what he believed should be done.
For example Nelson Mandela served 27 years in prison for conspiring to overthrow the state following the Rivonia Trial. On the thirty-first of January 1985 State President P W Botha offers Nelson Mandela, release from prison, which Mandela rejected because he felt if people still did not have any freedom there was no reason for release because he did what he felt was needed which was standing up for his beliefs.
When he got released, he served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. This shows people are willing to fight for what they believe is right no matter the consequence and one of those people happened to be Nelson Mandela who worked hard to gain freedom for himself and others in his environment.
Another example is the The Birmingham Campaign a movement led in early 1963 by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference it was made to bring attention to the integration efforts of African Americans. Even though there was no crime done on April 12, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr including a few others were arrested and sent to jail because they were protesting the treatment of blacks.
Civil rights protestors even got attacked with a water cannon and a few violence against blacks started. Many people held signs and worked together to try and end segregation and violence against African Americans. Soon Birmingham Campaign ended with a victory in May of 1963 when local officials agreed to remove “White Only” and “Black Only” signs from the restrooms and drinking fountains in downtown Birmingham.
References
- Nelson Mandela Foundation
- Wikipedia – Nelson Mandela
- The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute – Birmingham Campaign
- Wikipedia – Birmingham campaign
- History.com – Civil Rights Movement
- The King Center Archive – Birmingham Campaign Background Paper and Logistics Plan
- Birmingham Civil Rights Movement website – The 1963 Birmingham Campaign for Civil Rights & Bull Connor’s Oppression
