Long Walk to Freedom

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Apartheid in South Africa was an oppressive governmental social system that lasted from 1948 until the early 1990s. What was apartheid and how did it affect the lives of South African citizens? Describe or speculate about the laws and regulations during this time.

Teaching Suggestion: Of his many achievements, it is arguable that Nelson Mandela’s leadership in ending apartheid in South Africa and his contributions to The Struggle against this racist system are among his greatest accomplishments. For students to fully appreciate the magnitude of his actions, they must first understand the oppressive system that was South African apartheid. Investigation time, research, and discussion in response to this prompt will help to ensure that readers have a basic understanding of apartheid in South Africa. Information from these or similar resources can help students develop added context on the topic:

• South African History Online’s “A History of Apartheid in South Africa” provides an overview of how apartheid evolved in South Africa.
• History gives key facts, figures, and historical photos in their “Apartheid” pages.

Differentiation Suggestion: For an approach that focuses on comparative analysis, students might compare South African apartheid to Jim Crow laws in the American South. In an effort to avoid the subjective question of which racist system was “worse,” students should focus on analyzing the different laws and policies of each system and determining the respective impact on citizens, both Black and white. “Jim Crow Laws” from PBS’s American Experience could be a useful starting point for this discussion.

2. Historians consider the most impactful range of modern colonialism to extend from the late 15th century to the years immediately following World War II, during which time several European empires colonized many parts of the rest of the world. How would you define the term “colonialism”? What is involved in the process of “decolonization”?

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to connect colonialism/decolonization to larger historical moments. For example, the years surrounding The Cold War were a period in which many individuals in Africa were involved in a wider anticolonial struggle. This set the stage for Mandela to help bring about the end of apartheid in South Africa. It will be helpful to tie this prompt to the history of colonization/decolonization specifically in South Africa, asking students: Who were the oppressors in colonialist South Africa? Who were the oppressed?

• Emory University’s “The Philosophy of Colonialism: Civilization, Christianity, and Commerce” identifies the “Three C’s of Colonialism,” which underpin colonialist ideology.
• “The United Nations and Decolonization” offers historical information on decolonization and the UN’s role in it.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

One of Nelson Mandela’s most famous sayings is on the nature of resentment: “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” What does this quote mean to you? Reflect upon why resentment might be a “poison,” and how you have felt when you have experienced feelings of ill will or resentment.

Teaching Suggestion: This quote embodies one of the core themes running through Long Walk to Freedom, which is Mandela’s philosophy of Humanism. This prompt may inspire students to consider why embracing a life without resentment, as Mandela recommends here, is the best way to live. The idea that resentment is a “poison” relates to Mandela’s humanist beliefs; humanism encourages one to foster love, appreciation, and respect for all mankind, even those who have done wrong. It may be beneficial to introduce this prompt after reviewing the definition of Humanism or having small groups derive a common definition for the word.

• The LA Times’s “Nelson Mandela Transformed Himself and Then His Nation” analyzes this quote and discusses it in the larger context of Mandela’s life.
• The Nobel Prize’s “Nelson Mandela och F.W. de Klerk – Nobel Peace Prize 1993” is a 5-minute video that explores Mandela’s humanist beliefs and the friendship with his former adversary (Frederik Willem de Klerk).