2 desmond tutu biography and reconciliation

Desmond Tutu established a career in education before turning to theology, ultimately becoming one of the world's most prominent spiritual leaders.

Desmond tutu achievements

In , Tutu was appointed the general secretary of his country's Council of Churches and became a leading spokesperson for the rights of Black South Africans. During the s, he played an almost unrivaled role in drawing national and international attention to the iniquities of apartheid, and in , he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

He later chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and has continued to draw attention to a number of social justice issues over the years. His father was an elementary school principal and his mother worked cooking and cleaning at a school for the blind. The South Africa of Tutu's youth was rigidly segregated, with Black Africans denied the right to vote and forced to live in specific areas.

Although as a child Tutu understood that he was treated worse than white children based on nothing other than the color of his skin, he resolved to make the best of the situation and still managed a happy childhood. I mean, we made toys for ourselves with wires, making cars, and you really were exploding with joy! The incident made a profound impression on Tutu, teaching him that he need not accept discrimination and that religion could be a powerful tool for advocating racial equality.

Tutu was a bright and curious child with a passion for reading. He especially loved reading comic strips as well as Aesop's Fables and the plays of William Shakespeare. His family eventually moved to Johannesburg, and it was during Tutu's teen years that he contracted tuberculosis, spending a year and a half at a sanatorium to recuperate.

The experience inspired his ambition to become a medical doctor and find a cure for the disease. Tutu attended Johannesburg Bantu High School, a grossly underfunded all-Black school where he nevertheless excelled academically. You can, even with all of the obstacles that are placed in your way; you can reach out to the stars.

Tutu graduated from high school in , and although he had been accepted into medical school, his family could not afford the expensive tuition. Instead, he accepted a scholarship to study education at Pretoria Bantu Normal College and graduated with his teacher's certificate in