Revered anti-apartheid hero dies at 90: Who was Desmond Tutu?

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero, Archbishop Desmond Tutu passed away on Sunday, December 26, 2021. Tutu was hailed to be one of the symbolic figureheads when it comes to equality of races in his home country. The outspoken activist was diagnosed with cancer towards the end of the 1990s, and was frequently in and out of the hospital for treatments in recent years. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa expressed the grieving nation’s gratitude to this seminal figure who did his part in liberating South Africa from the shackles of racism and apartheid. Read on to know more about Desmond Tutu and his contribution towards the fight for equality.  

Who was Desmond Tutu? 
Born in Klerksdorp, South Africa, Desmond Tutu had humble beginnings in a religious family. Throughout his childhood and youth, he was described as an excellent academician. As he grew older, Tutu wanted to create a lasting impact in his community and society, in general. Seeking to fuse together aspects from black theology and African theology, he strived to bring across racial equality not only through law but also in the mindset of South Africans. He served as the dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg and then as Bishop of Lesotho during the 1970s. He then went on to become the general-secretary of the South African Council of Churches. 

Tutu’s staggering accomplishments  
Because of his preaching and activism, Tutu was deemed as the “moral compass of the nation” by South Africans. He was the very first black African to hold the title of both bishop of Johannesburg and bishop of Cape Town from 1985-1986 and 1986-1996 respectively. Having been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1981, 1982 and 1983, he finally received the honour in 1984- making him the second South African to win the prestigious award.  

Tutu’s preaching and activism 
Tutu’s greatest accomplishment to date are his efforts in dismantling the systemic racism and apartheid present in his country. He was responsible for conducting various campaigns across the nation with the objective of putting an end to apartheid through cultural resistance and economic boycotts. His peaceful means of resistance mirrored those of Nelson Mandela’s. He put emphasis on non-violent protests and foreign economic pressure in order to bring about equal rights and universal suffrage in his country.