Faith & Community
Peerless
Desmond Tutu
1931 – 2021
Archbishop, Nobel laureate and conscience of the anti-apartheid movement
Peerless is level 1 of 4 in the South Africa Hall of Fame: changed the field itself. Tell the country's story without them and the story breaks. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 as the most outspoken church voice against apartheid, and later chaired the commission that made the country face what had been done.
The Nobel committee announced in October 1984 that Tutu would become the second South African to receive the Peace Prize. He was the first black Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, and used the pulpit as a platform against apartheid at a time when most political opposition was banned or imprisoned.
After 1994 he chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which took public testimony from victims and perpetrators alike. He died in December 2021.
After 1994 he chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which took public testimony from victims and perpetrators alike. He died in December 2021.
- South African History Archive — Tutu and the Nobel Peace Prize
- United for Human Rights — Desmond Tutu
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