Racial equality has been a huge part of my life since I started living in South Africa. While living there I witnessed many strange things that I had never witnessed before. Apartheid was a huge part in South Africa’s history and still is. Transcendentalism was actually a big part that I never really thought about until now. Nelson Mandela was a transcendentalist. Throughout history Nelson Mandela has taken a stand for everything he believes in, even when he got put in jail for 27 years. He became is a true transcendentalist because even when he was pressured and had everything taken away from him he never once used violence. He knew what the right thing to do was which was; to speak his mind. He wanted to be part of a country that could be equal and come together as a nation and not be segregated or discriminated against. In Afrikaans apartheid means ‘separateness’. During the years 1948 till 1994 people were segregated. Whites and Blacks went to different schools, rode on different buses, had different entrances at stores, and had different benches and lines and water fountains. Nelson Mandela decided to take matters into his own hands. He started working with the ANC (African National Council) which got him arrested for 27 years. He was put in jail on Robben Island and even then he never gave up. He knew what he needed to do to prove himself and show that he would not give up. He was confident in what he believed in. After being released in 1990, Nelson Mandela went on to become president of South Africa. Apartheid had officially ended yet racism still deeply rooted in the country even till this day. Even though Nelson Mandela is no longer president, he is highly respected and his voice is still heard. As a leader, a peacemaker and a transcendentalist; Nelson Mandela was the leading force in the battle against apartheid. A battle worth fighting for and a battle won. We have racial problems even today in the United States of America. Whether we choose to acknowledge it, we all have made a racist joke or comment and no one is perfect. We should be involved because we are all equal. There is no race that is more important than any other. We can get involved with racial equality by getting involved with Race Equality Foundation. This foundation helps with housing, better health and many other things. Racial Equality is important because it never seems to go away but just because you look different or act differently does not mean that gives us a right to discriminate against others. Racial Equality is a big part of our past, today as well as our future. We need to stand up for each other no matter what color, religion or what we look like.