"I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free-free to run in the fields, free to swim in the stream that ran through my village, free to roast mealies under the stars. As long as I obeyed my father and abided by the customs of my tribe, I was not troubled by the laws of man or God." (Mandela, 202)
Table of Contents

"Free Nelson Mandela"

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Nelson Mandela was held prisoner in South Africa for twenty-seven years. This persuasive piece of music provides vivid detail on how strong Mandela was physically and mentally. Before his imprisonment, Mandela was a very active demonstrator and was a persistent fighter no matter how many mistakes were made or blows received. Mandela’s prestigious leadership qualities were taking form and people began to see as he saw as well. South Africans began to support the African National Congress (ANC) and Mandela, creating a massive organization with an impressive group of experienced activists who were willing to brave the police, the court and prison. (Mandela 49) Jerry Dammers wrote this song to create public awareness of Mandela’s feats and as a protest to free a great mind.

"Equal Rights"

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This song by famous African musician, Peter Tosh, certainly summarizes Mandela’s heroic effort in obtaining equal rights for South Africa. Mandela opened his own law office after working for the law firm of Trerblanch & Briggish. It was located in Johannesburg, where South Africans had the most need for legal help and advice. “It was a place where they could come and find a sympathetic ear and a competent ally, a place where they would not be either turned away or cheated, a place where they might actually feel proud to be represented by the men of their color.” (Mandela, 53) This was Mandela’s way of temporarily giving the people of South Africa equal rights until they could win the fight against the Apartheid.

"Imagine"

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Mandela was once quoted saying, “I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself”. John Lennon composed a song called “Imagine”, in which he portrays ideas and dreams that Mandela also had in his heart. The song is about imagining a world where everyone is equal, pretending that there is no religion, race, countries or possessions. He feels that if people could get past the differences we see in each other, we would be able to have a world that knows peace. In the song, Lennon says “you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” Mandela definitely fits the bill for being a dreamer. He stood up for what he believed in and wasn’t afraid to try and make the world a happier place that was more peaceful and equal.

"Revolution"

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The song “Revolution” by The Beatles is about creating just that, a revolution. That is something that Nelson Mandela definitely did. He was tired of the people of South Africa being discriminated against, so he went out there and did something about it. The song also embodies the theme of the government going on somewhat of a power trip. This is something that went on during the Apartheid in South Africa as well. The government was taking advantage of their people, not treating them equally or fairly. Mandela created a revolution for standing up for what he believed in and trying to make a difference in the world.

"With my Own Two Hands"

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This song by Jack Johnson was actually written with children in mind. It was written to make children feel like they could make a difference in the world. But sometimes, the morals that we try to instill in our children are so basic that we forget to instill them in ourselves. Mandela knew that he could make the world a better place if he simply tried. He put himself out there for prosecution and ridicule all in the name of something that he believed in and thought was significant not just in regards to himself, but the wellbeing of the entire country. It may not have been an easy battle, but it was something that he truly believed in, so the long battle was justified in the end.

"Were is the Love?"

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This is a song that is written about present time America, but it also easily applies to the hardships that Nelson Mandela was faced with. The song is about people doing things only with themselves in mind, not thinking of how others may be affected by those decisions. The South African government was not thinking about the wellbeing of their people as a whole, and Mandela stood up for what he believed was right and tried to change things for the better. The song says “if you only have love for your own race, then you only leave space to discriminate and to discriminate only generates hate”. This is a major issue that was faced in Mandela’s society and he worked to have everyone love each other again, just as this song says.

"Fight for Your Right"

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This is a song about fighting for what you believe in and what is important to you, whether that is something as trivial as a later curfew or as major as freedom and peace. Though Mandela may not have been fighting for the same things as the Beastie Boys, they had the same idea in mind, standing up for what you believe in. Mandela knew that what was happening in South Africa wasn’t right, so he stood up to the authorities in effort to change things for the better. And not just for the better of himself, but for the better of his country as a whole.

"Ebony & Ivory"

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This tune by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder is about white and black people living together in peace. No matter if they are good or bad, they would find a way to get along harmoniously. Mandela once said “I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes form black or a white man.” This tune relates to Mandela’s strong belief about racism and how he has fought against it throughout his lifetime. Mandela’s goals for South Africa go hand in hand with this song. No matter what color of skin we have, we should learn to live and give together so we can live in harmony today.

Works Cited

African National Congress. "Nelson Mandela, Portrait from an Election Poster," 1994 South Africa. Date of Access; 26 September 2009


Dammers, Jerry. "Free Nelson Mandela." Lyrics. Best of SKA. Disky Records, 2001

Horovitz, Adam. Rubin, Rock. Yauch, Adam. "Fight for Your Right." Lyrics. Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill. American Def Tunes Inc, 1995

Johnson, Jack. "With my Own Two Hands." Lyrics. Curious Geaorge Sound Track. Umvd Labels, 2006

Lennon, John. "Imagine." Lyrics. The John Lennon Collection. Capitol, 1989

Lennon, John. "Revolution." Lyrics. The Beatles: The White Album. Capitol, 1990

Mandela, Nelson. Mandela an Illustrated
Autobiography . United States: Little Brown and Company, 1994. Print.

In this illustrated autobiography, Mandela goes into detail telling the story of his life and the monumental struggles he had faced along the way. The book is broken up in to chapters that are chronological in reference to his age which makes it very well organized and easy to reference, as if it were a time line of his life. Mandela uses immense detail while describing the important events that took place in his life, making it very easy to understand what he was going through in South Africa and how he and many other key people put an end to Apartheid. Although Mandela didn’t know it at the time, he already begun writing his autobiography in 1974 under great secrecy during his imprisonment at Robben Island. This source is important because there are several of other references regarding Mandela’s work on putting an end to the Apartheid in South Africa. However, the information is limited and not abundant of specific details on what actually happened in his life. Mandela does a great job of filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle by enriching this book with details that we could not get else where. These details help the reader understand what went on during those dark years in South Africa. There is no better way to understand a person’s life than to hear the actually story from them self. This would be a great book for someone who doesn’t know mush about Mandela, but would like to learn about his life, the events that went on in his and his leadership role in the never ending fight for freedom. It gives one a solid idea on what the South African people, including Nelson Mandela, went through with the Apartheid up until Mandela became President of South Africa in 1994.




Mandela, Nelson. No Easy Walk to Freedom Articles Speeches
and Trial Addresses . Great Britain:
Heinemann Educational Books, 1965. Print.

Nelson Mandela is also an author, having written No Easy Walk to Freedom, which is a collection of his most important and interesting letters and speeches and the majority of his treason trial. All of his writing entries are organized in chronological order, which gives the book many chapters full of information that would be hard to find from any source other than Mandela, himself. It talks specifically about his first involvement with the African National Congress (the ANC), gives details about the underground portion of his life, some of the demonstrations he was involved in, then ending with Mandela’s imprisonment. No Easy Walk to Freedom gives you a clear picture of Mandela’s strength and passion for a democratic and free society that he fought tirelessly for. It also shows that Mandela never forgets about his beliefs no matter how many laws are against him. All humans deserve freedom, education and a quality life no matter what color their skin is or what god they worship. This book helps the reader learn more details about specific events that Mandela experienced during his fight for freedom. This book is more effective than most others because it is not written like a timeline, which is the format that most books about Mandela are written in. This book consists of small pieces of writings that Mandela wrote about the struggles he has gone through that describe the specific events in much greater detail. No Easy Walk to Freedom is recommended for someone who is interested in Mandela’s struggles and successes in his life until he was sent to prison. It describes the events in great detail which really gives you a good grasp on what was happening in South Africa at that time. The book is also very interesting to read for someone who is interested in the history of the Apartheid in South Africa.


McCartney, Paul. "Ebony & Ivory." Lyrics. Tug of War. Capitol, 1990



Nelson Mandela Foundation. 2009. Flow Communications, Web.
22 Sep 2009. <http://www.nelsonmandela.org/>.

This was an excellent online resource that provided a plethora of detailed information regarding Nelson Mandela and the legacy he has left behind and still is, as well as comprehensive information concerning the work of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. This exceptional website provided a great deal of substantial information regarding Mandela’s life through the form of a biography, several films, a time line of his life, speeches that Mandela made, publications and much much more. Another significant feature of this site is the information about the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which Mandela himself founded on August 19th, 1999. The Foundation puts efforts forth to make our society a just one by promoting the vision, values and work of Nelson Mandela. Even today Mandela is still very active; however, it is on a smaller scale. He still manages the Founder’s Office, making sure that they are operation at the most efficient levels possible. Another great feature this site has to offer is the recent news updates on the main page that informs the view of what the foundation is currently working on in the world to promote Mandela’s visions and missions of the Foundation. This is a highly credible resource for obtaining information in regards to Nelson Mandela and his Foundation. The site is very well organized, which makes it very clear and easy to use when it comes to viewing the material in question. The site is continuously being updated by a professional corporation called Flow Communications. When there are resources online like the one in question, it makes if much easy to understand and portray Mandela as the strong leader and icon of South Africa that he is.


Timberlake, Justin. "Where is the Love?" Lyrics. Black Eyed Peas single. Universal Import, 2003

Tosh, Peter. "Equal Rights." Lyrics. The Essential Peter Tosh: The Columbia Years. Legacy Records, 2006
Copyright Chad Smith
North Dakota State University