During the 1900s, the black Africans were given no rights and were considered to be below the white Europeans. Nelson Mandela, as an educated member of the Madiba tribe of South Africa, became involved with politics as a young man and joined in the fight for black freedom. The lessons he learned as a child would provide the necessary direction for him to achieve success. Mandela's rebellious nature can be attributed to his father, Gadla Henry Mandela, who is described as an outspoken man with a strong sense of fairness. So outspoken in fact, that he lost both his chieftainship and fortune while Nelson was still an infant. Similarly, Nelson, as an adult, lost everything apart from his sanity in 1964, when he was prosecuted for involvement with anti-apartheid campaigns. As a result, he was sentenced to life in prison and sent to Robben Island. It is said, "An acceptance of authority is the very denial of truth" –unknown, and to Mandela, this was a reality that would stand apart from everything else. Through these lessons from his father, Mandela was able to stand up for what was just and fair.
             Although lessons learned from his father would reflect a more dangerous side of him, Nelson Mandela also gained a strong work ethic during his education. After the death of his father in 1927, his mother was forced to leave nine-year-old Mandela in the care of Chief Jogintaba Dalindyebo, regent of the Thembu people. Here he was to receive an education. Though already excelling in his schoolwork through self-discipline, his aunt Phathiwe was still very strict about his homework every night. After completing his formal schooling, Mandela joined the African Nation Congress (ANC), but found it too passive, and soon set up the ANC Youth League, which aimed to establish more direct approaches to dealing with apartheid. The league organized mass strikes, boycotts, and protests. Seen in his childhood, this incredible determination was a valu...