Social inequality is a specific form of social differentiation in which individuals, social groups, or classes are at different levels of the social hierarchy, and have unequal life chances and opportunities to satisfy their needs.
Inequality is understood as unequal access of large social groups of people to economic resources, social goods, and political power. The main mechanisms of social inequality are relations of property, power, social division of labor, as well as uncontrolled, spontaneous social differentiation. One of the forms of social inequality in the world was apartheid, the policy of racial segregation in South Africa from 1948 to 1994 (Meyer, 2017). History has known many fighters against inequality, and one of the most famous human rights activists was an enemy of apartheid who served 27 years in prison for his beliefs.
This individual was born in the village of Mfezo, located on the left bank of the Mbashe River in South Africa. After secondary school, he graduated from Clarkebury School, then attended Methodist College in Fort Beaufort, and at the age of 21, he was enrolled as a student at Fort Hare University (Meyer, 2017). However, he left the university due to participation in a boycott of students who disagreed with the results of elections to the student representative council. In 1941, he moved to Johannesburg, and, along with his work as a lawyer, he entered the University of the Witwatersrand at the Faculty of Law.
As a university student, he became interested in politics and regularly participated in meetings of black intellectuals of the African National Congress. He often appeared at rallies and protests, supporting the side of the local population. In 1948, when the National Party came to power in South Africa, he became chief secretary and later president of the African National Congress Youth League (Meyer, 2017). He organized the Campaign of Disobedience to the Authorities, and in 1955, convened the Congress of the Free People (Meyer, 2017). His help to the people did not consist only of political disagreement.
He created the first law company that provided free services to blacks. He also compiled a list of principles for the future democratic society of the Republic of South Africa, which became the main document for the non-violent struggle against the apartheid regime.
In the early 60s, having achieved nothing peacefully, he created a radical organization that allowed for the possibility of armed struggle. Together with team members, they organized explosions of government and military facilities. In 1962, he was brought to trial and imprisoned for organizing strikes (Meyer, 2017). As a political prisoner, he had the worst conditions of detention and the least amount of privileges. For example, he was allowed to write only one letter or make only one call every six months. Nevertheless, thanks to the support of his friends who remained at large, during this period, he managed to become a well-known politician and fighter for equality.
Since the mid-1980s, the government has been trying to find a compromise. He was offered freedom in exchange for refusing to fight against apartheid, but he refused the offer. Only in 1989, did the authorities lift the ban on the African National Congress (Meyer, 2017).
A year later, he was acquitted in court and released. Immediately after his release from prison, he began an intensified struggle against the government which was accompanied by acts of terrorism and clashes. His efforts led to the holding of the first democratic elections in South Africa’s history and the African National Congress in 1994 (Meyer, 2017). With 62% of the vote, the fighter became the first black president of South Africa.
During 5 years of his rule, the new president achieved free medical care for children and pregnant women, free compulsory education for children under 14, and introduced equality in the payment of benefits. He increased subsidies for the maintenance of rural residents, introduced laws on land, labor relations, qualifications of workers, equality in employment, and many other policies. Under his government, large-scale work was carried out in the country on telephones, electrification, and the construction of hospitals, clinics, and residential buildings. He died on December 5, 2013, at the age of 96 (Meyer, 2017). However, his policy and fight for equality made him a well-known person around the world.
The person who made a difference in fighting for equality was Nelson Mandela. He was one of the most recognizable symbols of the 20th-century human rights movement, whose dedication to defending the freedoms of people inspires human rights defenders around the world. Mandela, sentenced to life imprisonment, became a vivid symbol of resistance to the growing anti-apartheid movement. He consistently refused to surrender his political positions in exchange for freedom. His historical merit is the creation of a Republic where representatives of all races coexist more or less peacefully. Nelson Mandela has become the moral compass and symbol of a better future for all of Africa.
Reference
Meyer, S. (2017). Nelson Mandela: South African president and anti-apartheid activist. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.