By While the world mourns the passing of South African icon Nelson Mandela, the media frenzy surrounding his death is revealing that many Cal State Long Beach students are unaware of Mandela’s role in history.
Mandela, a South African politician and activist widely known for his role in ending apartheid, an institutionalized system of racial segregation in South Africa, died at his home in Johannesburg, South Africa Thursday evening. He was 95.
Mandela was born with the name Rolihlahla Mandela in a region of South Africa formerly known as Mvezo, Transkei on July 18, 1918. In 1944, he joined the African National Congress (ANC), a political group that opposed apartheid and advocated for democracy in South Africa. Mandela helped to form the ANC Youth League.
He was arrested multiple times throughout his career for his involvement with the ANC, which was outlawed in South Africa in 1960. During a 1962 incident, Mandela was arrested for illegally leaving South Africa and inciting workers to strike.
While in captivity, he was further charged with sabotage, and on June 11, 1964, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
In 1990, then-South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk relaxed apartheid laws, legalized the ANC and released Mandela, who had turned down earlier release offers because of conditions attached to them.
It wasn’t until February 1990 that Mandela was released from prison, and four years later, he became the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
But among CSULB students, the specifics of Mandela’s life are relatively unknown, though his name is recognizable.
“I don’t really know much about him. I think he freed Africa from apartheid, something like that,” said Jonas Nyenstad, an exchange student from Denmark. “People our age don’t know him. We don’t know who he was.”
Kimberly Thomas, a sophomore English major, said she has known Mandela’s name since she was young but never knew exactly what he accomplished.
“I always heard about him and that he’s always done great things,” Thomas said. “From what I’ve heard people say about him, it’s a great loss.”
Like Thomas, freshman kinesiology major Dennis Spencer said he knew little about Mandela.
“I really didn’t know about him until I was watching the news,” Spencer said. “[President Barack] Obama was talking about him in his speech, about what he’s accomplished, so he must have been really important.”
Senior liberal studies major Danielle Vega said that she doesn’t know much about Mandela but thinks his passing will increase awareness of what he did.
“I’ve heard of him, but I hear more about him now that he’s passed away,” she said. “A lot of times when people pass away, they are recognized for their work, and it has a major impact. From what I’ve heard now, he’s pretty amazing.”
Sophomore journalism major Brooke Becher agreed.
“It’s kind of like the principle that once someone dies, then they get famous,” she said. “I think that’s probably what’s going to happen, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it gives that person’s life a purpose. A lot of people aren’t really aware of what he did, but hopefully they will be after his passing.”
Samantha Villegas, a junior biology major, said she knows about Mandela but only the basics.
“I know that he went from being in jail to being president and that he fought for the rights of his people,” Villegas said.
Mandela’s funeral will be held in Pretoria, South Africa on Sunday. World leaders, including Obama and Pope Francis, will be in attendance, according to the Guardian.
