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A Life Dedicated to South Africa’s Peace: The Most Reverend Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Part 1 of 2

2022-12-11
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The Most Reverend Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace prize laureate who was instrumental in ending apartheid in South Africa, passed away on December 26, 2021, at the ripe age of 90. He was known as a strong champion of human rights and justice by non-violent means, and strived with great determination to bring freedom and peace to his fellow South Africans. The Archbishop worked to bring reconciliation and healing between peoples in his nation as well. He was also active worldwide in promoting HIV prevention, urging action on climate change, and aiding in conflict resolution.

Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born on October 7, 1931, in the city of Klerksdorp, South Africa. Desmond Tutu was born at a time when South Africa was still segregated. When Desmond began his teaching career, the South African government at that time had officially ruled segregation and inequality as law in the nation. This led to the 1953 Bantu Education Act, legislation that limited the funding, opportunities, and knowledge that dark-color-skinned South Africans would receive in school.

Later in 1958, under the encouragement of the Reverend Trevor Huddleston, he attended St. Peter’s Theological College in Johannesburg. He became a priest in 1961. Desmond Tutu would also later train to become a theology teacher at the King’s College London in the UK in 1962, when there was a need for more indigenous Africans to hold positions in churches. Being in England allowed him to dream about a future for South Africa, free of apartheid. Upon returning from England, Desmond Tutu taught at the Federal Theological Seminary at Alice in the Eastern Cape.

In 1975, he was appointed to be the Anglican dean of Johannesburg, South Africa. This was the beginning of a remarkable journey which saw him being the first dark-color-skinned person to hold the post. He worked hard and spoke out on social issues, often calling the people and government of South Africa to make changes to its apartheid policy.