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The Trial of Nelson Mandela

Back in the day on October 22nd, 1962, Nelson Mandela stood trial for inciting workers to strike and for leaving South Africa without a passport. The African National Congress member set out to put the injustices of the government itself on trial as he took up the task of defending himself. Mandela, who had been arrested that August, took the initiative in asking for the presiding judge to recuse himself from the case due to bias. The freedom fighter and attorney-at-law then went on to challenge the viability of the trial on the grounds that he, as a black man, could not possibly be given a fair trail in white dominated South Africa. Following up with his argument, Mandela said that since no parliamentary representation was given to Black South Africans, he was not morally or legally bound to obey laws made by the legislative body. By the trial’s end, Mandela never denied that he traveled outside the country without a passport. Neither did he say in his closing remarks that he did not incite workers to strike. Mandela solely contested that these actions were criminal.

The judge disagreed and sentenced the longtime symbol of freedom to five years imprisonment on Robben Island.

For Uprising, this is your truth professa’ saying it’s no mystery why they conceal our people’s history