Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Theologian and activist, 1931–2021
The world lost Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the age of 90. In Robert McAfee Brown’s book, Unexpected News, published in 1984, Tutu was quoted, saying:
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
Tutu was anything but neutral in situations of injustice. The South African Anglican bishop and theologian was known as a powerful force for nonviolence in South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first Black African to hold the position.
