Activity 1: A Long Walk to Freedom [4 points]
Nelson Mandela was an activist and civil rights leader who was born and raised in South Africa. For over 40 years (1948-1991), the country of South Africa had a political system called ‘apartheid’. This meant that there were different rules for people who had white skin than for those who didn’t. Nelson Mandela felt that this was very wrong and he fought for many years to change the law. Eventually, he became the President of South Africa and ended apartheid, but not before spending 27 years in prison.
In Robben Island prison (where Mandela spent 18 years), life was very tough. Mandela had a tiny, damp, concrete cell, with only a straw mat to sleep on. During the day he was forced to work in a quarry, breaking rocks into gravel. He was only allowed to see one visitor and receive one letter every six months. At night, Nelson read and studied to be a lawyer.
On my blog, I need to write a journal entry imagining that I am Mr Mandela. What do you think he did each day? How did he feel? Include as much detail as you can in the journal entry.
February 1962
Hi again David!
ReplyDeleteWow Mr Mandela sounds like he had a very powerful life! Do you think that it would have been easy or hard for Mandela to change the minds of the people around him? Why, why not?
I see that the question is asking for how Mr Mandela felt when he was in prison, how do you think he felt in there? Do you think it was nice? What do you think he spent his day doing? Write as much detail as you can! (Write your journal entry as a comment below in order to get the full points for this activity.) :)
Keep blogging!
Gabe