Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) was a South African revolutionary, politician and philanthropist who served as President of the country from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of the state and the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. The text is an abridged excerpt of the speech he delivered when he was released from prison. Portions of the speech were delivered in Xhosa, one of the major languages spoken by black South Africans.