Meet the South African activist and president who fought for what was right in Nelson Mandela, a biography in the First Names series from author Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl and illustrator Nicole Miles.

Before he was the first Black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) was a boy with a traditional Thembu upbringing. He went on to study law and become involved with African nationalist politics. The government had established an apartheid (a system of segregation that privileged white people), and Mandela worked to overthrow this system. He was arrested, accused of treason, and thrown in jail. When he was released, Mandela negotiated an end to the apartheid and was elected president. Though he was a controversial figure at the time, he is now seen as an iconic advocate for democracy and social justice.

Inspiring and informational, Nelson Mandela tells the story of one of the greatest politicians and revolutionaries. It includes a timeline, glossary, and index.

First Names is a highly illustrated nonfiction series that puts readers on a first-name basis with some of the most incredible people in history and of today!

The First Names series:
Harry Houdini
Amelia Earhart
Ada Lovelace
Malala Yousafzai
Ferdinand Magellan
Beyoncé
Nelson Mandela
Greta Thunberg

"Before he was the first Black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was a boy with a traditional Thembu upbringing. He went on to study law and become involved with African nationalist politics. The government had established an apartheid (a system of segregation that privileged white people), and Mandela worked to overthrow this system. He was arrested, accused of treason, and thrown in jail. When he was released, Mandela negotiated an end to the apartheid and was elected president"--