On December 26th of 2021, South Africa and the world lost a powerhouse of a man, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. After years of fighting for liberation and serving those around him, Tutu may finally be at rest. Tutu leaves behind a wife and 4 children.

Desmond Tutu was a South African Archbishop and activist. Tutu was a driving force in the events that would change South Africa’s future and set the country onto a profoundly different course than what colonization had planned for it. He was the first in many endeavors such as being the first black Dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg in 1975. And in 1978, Tutu became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. 

Tutu’s leadership of the council helped to organize self-help programs in Black townships and scholarships for the Black youth. It also implemented programs to set up Black defendants with lawyers and support for families who had members taken without a trial.

In 1984, Tutu’s efforts were properly recognized and he received one of the largest and most important awards that can be given, The Nobel Peace Prize. This award cemented Tutu among the great leaders of our history and showed the world of his excellence.  Archbishop Tutu will forever be remembered for his breakthroughs. Tutu broke through many barriers apartheid set for him, getting a hearty and full education as a black man when it was considered impossible or worthless. 

One of the causes Tutu was dedicated to besides apartheid was recovery and care of the environment. Tutu believed that treating our environment harshly was a sin, and even in death, he made a conscious effort to combat air pollution by choosing to be aquamated. In this process, bodies are broken down using heated water and returned back to the earth this way. 

Tutu’s efforts toward the betterment of our society made him an extraordinary man, and an even better leader. The world will feel the loss of this man and his leadership in the world of politics, religion, and activism. It is important in the wake of his death to remember what he has done for our society and strive to do as he did as well as continue his efforts to keep his hard work in power.