“Voice Who Ended Apartheid” Dies at 90

By Shoshana Newman ‘24
Desmond M. Tutu, an archbishop and prime supporter of peaceful settlement under black majority rule in South Africa, died at age 90 on December 26th, 2021. Tutu was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the 1990’s and had been hospitalized various times since then.

When announcing Tutu’s death, South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa described Tutu as “a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead.” 
Sophomore Mimi Lebeau said, “Desmond Tutu was a driving force in the anti-segregation movement and lived an impactful, inspirational life. His legacy of change in South Africa will live on forever.” 
Although he was a positive force for peace, Tutu at times angered the Jewish community with his contentious thoughts and comments.  While visiting Yad Vashem, he said that Jews should forgive the Nazis for the Holocaust.  He also promoted an international boycott of Israel, and compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to the Holocaust.  He was known for his criticism of Israeli political policies.
Despite this, Tutu is more often praised for playing a major role in spreading awareness and eventually ending apartheid, a system of segregation and discrimination on grounds of race in South Africa. During this time black people were stripped of the right to vote and the right to participate in other political events. Oftentimes they would be unlawfully incarcerated, tortured or even killed by law enforcement. 
“I think good people should get the praise they deserve,” said junior Jadon Flakenstein.  “Everybody has their flaws, but his actions merit some praise.  I also think his views of Israel shouldn’t be ignored.”
During the apartheid era, black South Africans lived their daily in lives in threatening conditions. For example, black people were forbidden from going into urbans areas if they were unemployed. 
Despite the injustices black South Africans faced, Tutu encouraged the process of peaceful protests and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1984, amplifying his message to the South American government. 
Tutu said: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” 
Sophomore Talia Perlstein stated, “it is very important for people to remember Desmond Tutu as the work he did was truly groundbreaking, and he played a key role in shaping the anti segregation movement to what it is today.” 
Tutu began his career as a school teacher in 1957, but resigned later that year. He then went to St. Peter’s Theological College and later got ordained as an Anglican priest in 1961. In 1975, Tutu was appointed the first black South African dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg and in 1978, he accepted the role of general secretary of the South Africa Council of Churches, which allowed him to become one of the leading voices for the rights of Black South Africans. 
After receiving his Nobel Peace Prize, Tutu was elected to be the first Black archbishop of Cape Town. In this position he became the chief archbishop of South Africa’s Anglican church with an associateship which included millions of people. 
Even once apartheid was defeated and South Africa progressed into a democracy, Tutu continued fighting to make South Africa a “Rainbow Nation,” describing the unity of various cultural, racial and ethnic groups in the country during the post-apartheid era. He was later appointed the head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by the South African President in 1995. 
Tutu will forever be known as a driving force in the movement to end racial segregation in South Africa. Desmond Tutu once said he was “not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. [He] want[ed] the full menu of rights.”