Racism is a dark part of our history. In the past, people were judged by their race. It led to lots of wars. It led to slavery. Some amazing people used their time on earth to fight against it.
This is Nelson Mandela. He was born on July 18, 1918, in South Africa.
When he was growing up, South Africa was not a fair place. There was something called apartheid. It controlled what black people were allowed to do. Black people and white people were not treated as equals.
Nelson Mandela grew up during this time. He spent many years fighting against it. He believed that everyone should be equal.
People did not want Mandela to change South Africa. They tried to stop him by imprisoning him. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. But even being in prison could not stop him. He kept his hopes and dreams alive.
Nelson Mandela came out of prison a hero. South Africans knew that it was time for a change. In 1994, South Africa had a special election. It was the first election where both black people and white citizens in South Africa were allowed to vote.
Many people went out to vote for the first time. When the ballots were all cast, the result was clear. Mandela was the first black president of South Africa.
It was not just people of colour in South Africa who were treated unfairly. Black people in the USA were also segregated. They were not allowed to use the same buses. They were not allowed in some buildings.
Martin Luther King Jr. did not agree with this. He fought against segregation in the 1950s and 1960s. He wanted to abolish the unfair laws.
Martin Luther King Jr. worked hard to change the world. He led lots of protests. He gave lots of speeches. He tried to give everybody equal rights.
Rosa Parks sacrificed her freedom for her people. One day, she was on the bus in Alabama. She was told that she had to move for a white man. She refused to move. She was arrested.
This event led to a big change in the law. African Americans refused to use buses for over a year. They did not think the rules were fair. Finally, the courts decided that it was illegal to separate people on buses. Black and white people could sit together.
The world looks different now to how it did before. There is more diversity. But it is still not perfect. We must continue working towards equality.