Can someone tell me a few great things about "What made Nelson Mandella a great African American"?

Question

I was assigned this question for English summer school =(

if he is black, how cant he be african american???

Answer 1

Nelson Mandela was not a great African American. He was not American. He was a great black man in South Africa, one of the more remarkable people in recent memory.

I am most impressed by his work after becoming president of South Africa after the end of Apartheid. He had spent decades in prison at the hands of the white power structure. Yet he worked for reconciliation rather than revenge, or even justice, really. Most of us would not be able to show such grace.

Answer 2

Nelson Mandella is not African American. The American part is wrong. Either your teacher was careless in assigning the work, or you got the question wrong.
He's South African.

Answer 3

Nelson Mandela was born in South Africa, and as far as I know, never actually lived in the U.S. He would be a great African, but not an African-American.

Answer 4

Nelson Mandela is not American. He is South African.

Answer 5

First of all, he was a great South African crusader for civil rights, not an African American. Secondly, do your own homework! You'll learn more.

Answer 6

Oh, I beg you to please read about Mr. Mandela. Please. Ghandi, Mandela, two of the most influencial men of peace in the last 100 years.

A political prisoner in South Africa for over 20 years, he shook the rafters in all the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He showed us all that as long as one person is enslaved, no one is free.

Nelson Mandela's greatest pleasure, his most private moment, is watching the sun set with the music of Handel or Tchaikovsky playing.

Locked up in his cell during daylight hours, deprived of music, both these simple pleasures were denied him for decades. With his fellow prisoners, concerts were organised when possible, particularly at Christmas time, where they would sing. Nelson Mandela finds music very uplifting, and takes a keen interest not only in European classical music but also in African choral music and the many talents in South African music. But one voice stands out above all - that of Paul Robeson, whom he describes as our hero.

The years in jail reinforced habits that were already entrenched: the disciplined eating regime of an athlete began in the 1940s, as did the early morning exercise. Still today Nelson Mandela is up by 4.30am, irrespective of how late he has worked the previous evening. By 5am he has begun his exercise routine that lasts at least an hour. Breakfast is by 6.30, when the days newspapers are read. The day s work has begun.

With a standard working day of at least 12 hours, time management is critical and Nelson Mandela is extremely impatient with unpunctuality, regarding it as insulting to those you are dealing with.

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/

http://www.anc.org.za/people/mandela.html

Answer 7

what is you understanding about black? black can be anyone whose skin hsa shades of brown, so africans are black, some indians are black, some pple from the middle east are black. and he is the greates than any man in this world, you must be 10 yrs old? if you dont know Nelson mandela is african.

Answer 8

Uh first off, Nelson Mandela was president of South Africa.....he was South African - always has been, always will be!!! Got that sweety?

Answer 9

He is African, my friend, South African, not American!
Check out http://www.anc.org.za/people/mandela.html
He indeed is a great man and leader to his people, and an excellent man to learn about.

Answer 10

Well, first of all, he would be a great AFRICAN, when you consider that he was born and raised in South Africa. Brain cramp? Or just clueless?