February 11, 1990, is a date that the world will never forget. On this Sunday afternoon, after 27 years, Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster Prison in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela was a leader who fought against Apartheid, his release marked the end of white minority rule and led to the country’s first multiracial presidential election. In 1944, Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) as a lawyer. ANC was the oldest group in South Africa fighting for Black rights.
Mandela started as a leader for the group’s youth in Johannesburg. By 1952, he was a top leader for the whole ANC. At first, he believed in using only peaceful protests to fight against Apartheid. But in 1960, after police killed Black protesters at a place called Sharpeville, his strategy changed. He helped organize a paramilitary branch of the ANC to fight back against the white minority government.
In 1961, Mandela was arrested for treason, but he was found not guilty. However, he was arrested again in 1962 for leaving the country without permission. He was sent to Robben Island Prison for five years, but while he was there, he was put on trial again in 1964 for sabotage.
This time, Mandela and other ANC leaders were found guilty and sentenced to stay in prison for the rest of their lives. Of the 27 years he spent behind bars, the first 18 were served at the Robben Island Prison.
When the gates of the prison finally opened on February 11, thousands of people were waiting outside to see him. Millions more watched on television around the world. As he walked out, Mandela held his wife Winnie’s hand and raised his fist in a victory salute. He was 71 years old at the time, yet he appeared strong and determined to continue his work.
Later that day, he spoke to a massive crowd from the balcony of the City Hall in Cape Town. He told the people that while his release was a joyful moment, the struggle for equality was not over. He called for peace and urged the government to continue making changes so that every citizen could have a voice.
The release of Nelson Mandela started a series of meetings between Mandela and the South African government. These talks eventually led the country to move away from the laws of Apartheid and toward a future where everyone had the right to vote.
Just four years after leaving prison, in 1994, South Africa held its very first multiracial presidential election. For the first time, Black South Africans were allowed to vote for their leader. Nelson Mandela won that election and became the president of South Africa.
Mandela retired from politics in 1999, but he didn’t stop working for peace and justice until he passed away in December 2013.
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