by Floyd Cooper

Few figures have inspired as much respect or admiration as Nelson Mandela. From his boyhood days in the South African countryside, to the protests he led in school, his leadership of the African National Congress, and his twenty-seven years in prison, Mandela always stood firm for what was fair and right. He fought against the system of apartheid--the laws that treated black people poorly--and eventually helped to abolish it, becoming the first black president in South Africa's history. Mandela's extraordinary life is a story of courage, persistence, hope, and belief.