Desmond Tutu is a South African activist, social rights leader, and Anglican cleric. He is a Nobel Laureate and Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa. He was born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal on October 7, 1931, to Zachariah and Aletha Tutu. His family was of Xhosa ancestry and he was raised in the Anglican faith.
Tutu attended the Johannesburg Bantu High School from 1941 to 1945, where he was a leader among the students. After graduating, he studied teaching at Pretoria Bantu Normal College from 1951 to 1953 and then theology at St. Peter’s Theological College in Johannesburg from 1953 to 1955. He was ordained an Anglican priest in 1960 and became the first black South African to be appointed to a permanent academic post at the University of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland in 1962.
In 1975, Tutu was appointed Anglican Dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg and in 1978 he became Bishop of Lesotho. Two years later, he was appointed General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, and in 1984 he was elected Archbishop of Cape Town, the highest post in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
In 1984, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in the anti-apartheid movement and his work for racial equality in South Africa. He also received the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1986 and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1988.
Throughout his career, Tutu has been a strong advocate for human rights and racial equality. He has spoken out against racism, poverty, gender inequality, and homophobia. He has also been a vocal advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples, and has supported the rights of women to control their own bodies.
Tutu has also been a strong supporter of religious freedom and interfaith dialogue, and has encouraged peace and understanding between different faiths. He has traveled extensively, meeting with people of different faiths and backgrounds, and has spoken out against religious intolerance and discrimination.
Tutu is currently the Chair of the Elders, a group of global leaders working to promote peace and human rights. He is also a member of The Elders, a group of independent global leaders who work together to tackle some of the world’s toughest problems.
Tutu has been widely recognized for
