Grand apartheid was established as South African policy in 1948 and thus a dark period of human existence arose with issues such as black oppression and white supremacy clouding people's everyday lives within the country. Nelson Mandela is almost certainly the most renowned prisoner in the history of the world and ultimately became the president of South Africa in 1994 after apartheid was dismembered and after he was released from prison. Mandela was involved with the fight for the rights of his people and for general equality from the very beginning of apartheid. As well, Mandela was a figurehead for the people seeking equality throughout his life, whether it was in prison or as a part of the ANC (African National Congress). Nelson Mandela was considered a key to the ending of apartheid in South Africa because of his activism within the political system and because he was an inspiration to his people, and finally because he was a symbol of strength for the African people.
             Nelson Mandela's activism within the South African political system against apartheid from the beginning and thus was a key to ending apartheid. When apartheid was introduced in 1948, Mandela was part of a group called the African National Congress Youth League. This group was part of the ANC in that it used their ideas to begin non-violent civil disobedience to protest "pass books" and laws that kept blacks in permanent servility. The ANCYL had the impact on the ANC of making them change from being a completely passive group to advocating the weapons of boycott, strike, civil disobedience and non-co-operation. Eventually Mandela was elected to join the ANC where he could make a real political difference. Throughout all of these events and changes, there was one constant and this was the threats and attempts of the government to imprison the members of the ANC and ANCYL. In 1952, the ANC launched the Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws wi...