Nelson Mandela's Speech: Understanding Biases

What biases does Mandela reveal that the reader must consider when evaluating evidence given by Mandela in the speech?

A. He disagrees with the State that foreigners and communists are influencing political struggles in South Africa, so he is a communist.

B. He reveals he is a lawyer and therefore cannot be trusted.

C. He reveals he has been convicted of crimes and that he is influenced by his personal experiences as an African in South Africa.

D. He claims he is the leader of his people, so he would be biased for his people.

Answer:

C. He reveals he has been convicted of crimes and that he is influenced by his personal experiences as an African in South Africa.

In his speech "I Am Prepared to Die," Nelson Mandela makes reference to the reason he is imprisoned and the crimes he committed. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that his actions were not influenced by foreigners or communists, but by his own experiences as an African citizen.