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Desmond Tutu was a prominent South African cleric and activist who fought against apartheid and discrimination. He was the first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. Tutu also founded the Global AIDS Alliance and continues to advocate for equality on many levels.
As one of the most outstanding figures in public life of the 20th century, Desmond Tutu has been an inspiration to millions of people around the world. Here is a brief overview of Desmond Mpilo Tutu’s life, including some of the contributions he made to human rights, religion and politics during his lifetime.
Desmond Tutu was born on 7 October 1931 in Klerksdorp, Transvaal and grew up in the embrace of the Anglican Communion. Around the age of twelve, Tutu’s family settled in Johannesburg. In the beginning, Desmond Tutu had a dream of becoming a doctor, so that he could heal people of their ailments. Unfortunately, the Tutu family was unable to afford the necessary training, so Tutu chose to pursue a teaching profession.
It was in 1957 that Desmond Tutu took his first public stand for equality, when he opposed the newly created Bantu Education Act, which set out circumstances he said made it even more difficult for many South Africans to get a quality education. Resigning from teaching, Tutu began to devote himself to theology. At this juncture, Desmond Tutu made the decision to pursue a life dedicated to the service of humanity through the auspices of the Anglican Church.
After completing his basic studies, he was ordained a priest in the Anglican tradition in 1960. Over time, Desmond Tutu has become a prominent South African cleric. His faithful service led to Desmond Tutu being ordained as the first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town. In later years, he also became the primate of what is now known as the Anglican Church of South Africa.
Tutu’s ministry often focused on God’s love for all mankind. This view made it natural for Archbishop Desmond Tutu to be an enemy of apartheid in his native country. In essence, apartheid prevented all citizens of South Africa from fully participating in the life of the country. Tutu’s efforts to end apartheid touched the hearts of people around the world and in 1984 he received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his efforts to bring full equality to all citizens of South Africa . Archbishop Tutu was also awarded the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1986.
Desmond Tutu’s fight for equal rights for all citizens did not stop with the end of racial inequality in South Africa. At a time when few people cared to talk about the need to seek medical solutions to the AIDS epidemic, Desmond Tutu used his position as a well-regarded South African activist and cleric to call for an end to discrimination against people with AIDS and AIDS Complex. To that end, Desmond Tutu founded the Global AIDS Alliance, which has proved to be a major force in getting people around the world to take the epidemic seriously. His efforts on behalf of AIDS victims led him to receive the Gandhi Peace Prize, which he accepted in February 2007.
Archbishop Tutu continues to speak out for equality on many levels, including gender, race and sexual orientation. He travels extensively to share his vision of a world where people are valued for who they are and not for external factors that are often used to marginalize others. As one of the most popular clerics in the world, Desmond Tutu has built bridges between many people who may never have met without the vision of a world where all are equal which is his legacy to the world.
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