Character Catalog

Mandela's autobiography tracing his childhood, his struggle against apartheid, and his 27 years of imprisonment. Translated into dozens of languages, this book became one of the major political testimonies of the 20th century.

Mandela co-founded the armed wing of the ANC after the banning of peaceful demonstrations, a decisive turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle. The organisation carried out sabotage operations against the regime's infrastructure, initially without targeting civilian casualties.

Mandela was the first Black president of South Africa, elected in the country's first multiracial elections. His term was marked by the drafting of a new constitution, the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and a policy of national reconciliation.

This document drawn up at the Congress of the People in Kliptown laid the foundations for a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. It inspired the post-apartheid constitution of 1996.

After his presidency, Mandela established this foundation dedicated to promoting democracy, education, and the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. It carries forward his legacy and his commitment to social justice around the world.

This speech delivered before the court, in which Mandela declared he was prepared to die for his ideals, is considered one of the most powerful political texts of the 20th century. It was broadcast around the world and strengthened the international movement against apartheid.

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.

I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realised. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by the challenges that remain. I have cherished the dream of a free, democratic and non-racial South Africa. I still cherish that dream.

We have entered into a covenant with all the peoples of South Africa in the common interest of ensuring that our country takes its rightful place among the nations of the world. Never, never and never again shall this beautiful land experience the oppression of one by another.

There is something deeply satisfying about being able to hold firm and knowing that one is fighting for a just principle, that one is not compromising one's conscience.

Prison island in Table Bay where Mandela was incarcerated for 18 of the 27 years of his detention. It became a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and stands as a symbol of both the brutality of apartheid and the resistance of its victims.

Black township of Johannesburg where Mandela and his family lived and where he developed his political consciousness. Soweto was also the scene of the 1976 uprising, a major turning point in the struggle against apartheid.

Mandela's birth village where he spent his childhood and where he was buried on December 15, 2013, according to Xhosa traditions. This place represents his cultural roots and his attachment to the African land.

Seat of the South African government where Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's first Black president on May 10, 1994. This historic ceremony was attended by dozens of heads of state from around the world.

The last prison where Mandela was held, in the Cape region; it was through its gates that he walked free on February 11, 1990, before the cameras of the entire world. A statue today commemorates this historic moment.

The city where Mandela settled as a law student and co-founded with Oliver Tambo the first Black law firm in South Africa in 1952. This city was the centre of his political activism throughout the 1950s.

Mandela carried this traditional Xhosa stick during official ceremonies, asserting his belonging to the Thembu royalty and African culture. This gesture symbolized the link between his political struggle and the cultural roots of the Black South African people.

Black prisoners on Robben Island were made to wear an orange uniform imposed by the prison administration, a symbol of their humiliation. This jumpsuit became a worldwide symbol of the injustice of apartheid and of Mandela's resistance.

From his release onward, Mandela adopted colorful shirts with African patterns, refusing the tie and the traditional Western suit worn by heads of state. These shirts became his trademark and a symbol of his African cultural pride.

The jersey worn by Mandela during the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup became one of the most iconic objects in modern political history. By putting it on, he transformed a symbol of white domination into an emblem of the Rainbow Nation.

The prisoners of Robben Island secretly organized intellectual activities; Mandela annotated literary and philosophical texts passed around clandestinely. These contraband books represented the resistance of the mind against imprisonment.

On Robben Island, Mandela secretly wrote the first drafts of his autobiography in notebooks hidden in the garden. These manuscripts, partially discovered and confiscated by the guards in 1977, were nonetheless preserved and published decades later.