Title
Recognizing and honoring the legacy of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the "Mother of the Nation" of South Africa, for her lifelong activism in fighting for the equal treatment of her people.
Body
WHEREAS, Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela was born in the village of Mbongweni, Bizana on the 26th of September 1936. Her father, Columbus, was a local history teacher and her mother, Gertrude, was a science teacher; and
WHEREAS, Living in South Africa during the height of Apartheid, Winnie encountered racism at an early age. Her experiences growing up deeply affected her, and as she grew, she became increasingly sensitized to the inequality of the world around her; and
WHEREAS, Fortunately, Winnie entered primary school before the Apartheid policy of requiring separate education for blacks and whites was implemented. Therefore, Winnie benefited from an education that was on par with that of her white counterparts. Winnie was admitted to the Jan Hofmeyr School of Social Work in Johannesburg, and upon completing her studies, she became the first black social worker at the Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg; and
WHEREAS, Winnie was always politically active and began to make a name for herself while she was a social worker. She was particularly passionate about the research she carried out to establish the rate of infantile mortality in Alexandra Township, which at the time, was 10 in every 1,000 births; and
WHEREAS, When Winnie was 22 years old she met Nelson Mandela, who was already a famous anti-apartheid figure and one of the key defendants in the Treason Trial. They were married on June 14, 1958; and
WHEREAS, The Mandelas endured a turbulent married life. Their home was often subject to police raids due to their activism against the South African government, which eventually led to Nelson being arrested on August 5, 1961; and
WHEREAS, During the 27 years Nelson remained in prison, Winnie continued campaigning against Apartheid. She...
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