Desmond Tutu

1931-

South African Archbishop, Activist

 

 


As Anglican Archbishop of South Africa, Desmond Tutu has been an important voice on behalf of black rights and peace in that country. Tutu was born on October 7, 1931 in Klerksdorp Transvall. His family moved to Johannesburg when he was 12. Tutu went to high school in South Africa but went to College in England. As secretary general of the South African Council of Churches, Tutu became widely known for his advocacy of black unity and an end to the policies of apartheid.

In 1984, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for peace. He received many other awards and is widely viewed as the moral voice of South Africa