by Nelson Mandela

Born in the small village of Mvezo in South Africa’s Transkei region in 1918, Nelson Mandela grew up listening to the stories of his village elders, who spoke of the time before the white man arrived. Mandela’s father was a trusted adviser and a cousin to the paramount chief of Tembuland. According to Mandela himself, it was this strong sense of heritage that set him on the path of activism and revolution: “I hoped then [when listening to these stories] that life might offer me the opportunity to serve my people and make my own humble contribution to their freedom struggle” (Mandela, “Rivonia Trial Speech,” p. 163). Mandela attended law school at the Cape Province’s Fort Hare University College, where he was active in student politics. In 1944 Mandela joined the African National Congress’s...