Mandela was one of the most active and influential human activists of the 20th century. In his fight for equality Nelson Mandela fought racism, imprisonment and social inequality, all in an effort to secure equal rights for African Americans in South Africa. His efforts provided hope and pride to African Americans in South Africa that things could and would get better for them. in the future. Mandela was far from perfect and had many issues to deal with both publicly and personally. Mandela struggled with racism and social injustice his entire life and seemed to simply ignore it. Nelson Mandela overcame social inequality by breaking down the walls of politics for African Americans, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, and being the first African American president of South Africa. Nelson Mandela broke down the walls of politics in South Africa and changed the way government operated in South Africa too. Nelson Mandela spent much of his time trying to find ways to gain equal civil and political rights, even if it meant being incarcerated. Even though Mandela spent several years in prison, he still found a way to make a difference and contribute to his people in his own way. “After leaving prison, he urged conciliation with South African President de Klerk and other government leaders. He believed that such an approach would allow blacks to gain political power peacefully.” (“Mandela, Nelson”). He was very dedicated to the pursuit of equality for his South African people and would do anything to achieve this goal. He wanted to achieve his goals in a peaceful manner and did not want to resist or disobey authority. Mandela was part of many different organisations, that of… middle of paper… family. Over time, Mandela earned the respect and human rights that African Americans deserved in South Africa. Works Cited Thomas 6Korieh, Chima. “Nelson Mandela”. Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. Ed. Thomas Benjamin. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. Biography in context. Network. March 21, 2014.Magoon, Kekla. “Nelson Mandela: A Leader for Freedom.” Edina, MN: ABDO Pub., 2008. Print. March 21, 2014.Meer, Fatima. “More than Hope: The Authorized Biography of Nelson Mandela.” New York: Harper & Row, 1990. Print. March 21, 2014.Saunders, Christopher. “Mandela, Nelson.” Advanced World Book. Book of the World, 2014. Web. 21 March.2014.