A man of cloth for most of his life, Tutu was the first Black Anglican dean, and the first Black bishop of Johannesburg
The Activist
Tutu was an outspoken leader against South Africa's brutal apartheid regime, that oppressed the Black majority. He is hailed as one of the champions of human rights in the region.
The Nobel Laureate
For his efforts to bring an end to the oppressive White minority regime, Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
"National Treasure"
In October 2021, on Tutu's 90th birthday, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa called him a "national treasure and global icon".