This Week in Civil Rights History: Birthday of South African Activist Nelson Mandela

In 1993, the negotiating groups came to an agreement, and a transitional constitution setting up democracy in South Africa was ratified.  In the country’s first multiracial elections held on April 27, 1994, Mandela was elected president of South Africa.  He served as president from 1994 to 1999.

Since Mandela’s political retirement in 1999, he has become a powerful advocate for various international humanitarian efforts, including the Make Poverty History campaign, which pressures governments to reduce poverty; SOS Children’s Villages, which provides family care for orphaned and abandoned children; and 46664, a campaign for global HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. The number 46664 was Mandela’s identification number in prison.  Mandela also founded the Nelson Mandela Foundation to promote social justice by preserving historical documents and resources and convening dialogue around critical issues.   

Nelson Mandela remains one of the most respected and influential humanitarians in the world.  His unbending resolve and success against all odds continues to inspire new generations of civil rights advocates.  In his words, “There is no such thing as part freedom.”