A Christian who worked for racial harmony

Because racial harmony is such an important issue to Christians, many have worked to promote it across their communities. One example is Desmond Tutu (1931-2021), who worked to promote equal rights and reconciliation in South Africa.

Some key facts about him include:

• From 1985 to 1986, he was the first black Bishop of Johannesburg. Then from 1986 to 1996, he was the first black Archbishop of Cape Town.
• He worked to promote human rights and lobbied against apartheid laws, which severely discriminated against black people across South Africa.
• He campaigned for racial harmony, teaching that all races are equal, regardless of the colour of their skin.
• In 1984 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the opposition to apartheid in South Africa.
• He gave spiritual support and guidance to Nelson Mandela when Mandela became the country's first black president in 1994, recommending a policy of reconciliation when dealing with the hurts of the past.
• As a member of the United Nations, he campaigned for human rights, including poverty, Church reform, access to education, and healthcare for all across the world.

You can find out more about apartheid by clicking here.

Desmond Tutu devoted his life to promoting racial harmony because of his strong Christian faith. To read more about the teachings on which he based his views, please click here.

To watch a short film about him, please click here.