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Desmond Tutu

Religion

Desmond Tutu

1931 – 2021 · aged 90 · Archbishop and anti-apartheid activist

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Portrait: Benny Gool, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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181 people are remembering Desmond here

Latest: Krzysztof Kowalski 🇺🇸 lit a candle 16d ago

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Their story

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Desmond Tutu was the first Black Archbishop of Cape Town, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his non-violent opposition to apartheid, and chaired South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He died at 90.

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In their own words

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Photos

5
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Benny Gool, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
by People Forever

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Mpho Andrea Tutu (South African Episcopal priest, daughter of Desmond Tutu) and Desmond Tutu (South African former Archbishop), at the event Desmond Tutu meets
Apdency, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
by People Forever

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12/7/1984 President meeting with Bishop Desmond Tutu of Anglican Church of South Africa in oval office
White House/ Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
by People Forever

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Desmond M. Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of South Africa gestures during the session 'Believing in the Dignity of All' at the Annual Meeting 2009 of the World Econo
Copyright by World Economic Forum swiss-image.ch/Photo by Remy Steinegger, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
by People Forever

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Videos

5
The Frost Interview - Desmond Tutu: Not going quietly
6d ago

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Reconciling Love: Archbishop Desmond Tutu
6d ago

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Desmond Tutu and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission | 60 Minutes Archive
6d ago

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MISSION: JOY • Official Trailer • Documentary About the Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu's Friendship
6d ago

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Tributes

14

Memories, thanks and farewells from the people Desmond touched.

A memory, a thank-you, a goodbye. You can add a photo.
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Thank you

Desmond once said something in an interview that changed how I thought about my own work. I've never forgotten it.

Chloe Powell23d ago

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I feel exactly the same way.

Donna Thompson
5 May 2026

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One of a kind

My dad introduced me to Desmond's work when I was a kid. We talked about it for hours. Today I'm thinking of both of them.

Rania Khoury5 May 2026

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I feel exactly the same way.

Lucia Ochoa19 May 2026

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Thank you for sharing this.

Sofia Espinoza
9 Apr 2026

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Desmond Tutu will be remembered long after the rest of us are forgotten. That's what greatness looks like.

Molly Coleman5 May 2026

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This made me cry. Thank you.

Peggy Graham15 Jul 2026

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Couldn't agree more.

Fernando Estrada
28 Mar 2026

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Not many people can say they made millions of strangers feel less alone. Desmond could.

Dylan Hamilton
2 Feb 2026

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Never forgotten

Rest well, Desmond. The work is done, and it was good.

Jacob Shapiro
30 Nov 2025

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Lighting a candle from Poland. Desmond meant a great deal to a lot of us here.

Vincent Jordan6 Feb 2026

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Beautifully said.

Octavia Smith
20 Nov 2025

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To the family: you shared Desmond with all of us for so long. Thank you. We're holding you in our thoughts.

Denise Duncan
15 Sept 2025

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A light in the dark

A life fully lived. Thank you, Desmond.

Gemma West23 May 2026

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Same here. Exactly this.

Vincent Jordan
30 Apr 2025

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My grandmother loved Desmond. When she died we played their work at the funeral. Now they're both gone. Strange how connected it all is.

Hamish Robinson2 Jun 2025

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This made me cry. Thank you.

Roger Brown2 Aug 2025

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This made me cry. Thank you.

Lachlan Hayes
21 Apr 2025

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Thank you for your gentleness in a hard world.

Crystal Battle11 Jan 2026

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I feel exactly the same way.

Megan James
10 Apr 2025

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Some people leave a mark on the world that doesn't fade. Desmond was one of them.

Jennifer Kim14 Aug 2025

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Same here. Exactly this.

Hoa Wang16 Oct 2025

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Beautifully said.

Ella Bell
7 Apr 2025

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Gone too soon, even at any age. There was so much more to come.

Nathalie Dubois
25 Mar 2025

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Rest in peace

The world is a little quieter today.

Philip Allen
14 Mar 2025

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Gratitude

I never met Desmond, but I feel like I grew up with them. Thank you for being part of my life.

Peter Wolf12 Mar 2026

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Yes. This.

Candles

166

181 people are remembering Desmond here. Light a candle when words are hard. It stays here.

Krzysztof Kowalski🇺🇸16d ago
Michael Preston🇺🇸4 Aug 2026
Thank you for everything.
Michelle Ng🇺🇸27 Jul 2026
Daniela Rossi🇺🇸8 Jul 2026
Grace Sato🇨🇦8 Jul 2026
Maria Guzman🇺🇸28 Jun 2026
Norma Ramos🇺🇸24 Jun 2026
Anonymous🇮🇳3 Jun 2026
Alexis Fisher🇺🇸30 May 2026
Ethan Barnes🇺🇸13 May 2026
Kyle Anderson🇬🇧13 May 2026
Carolyn Watkins🇺🇸29 Apr 2026
Harold Spiegel🇺🇸26 Apr 2026
Nancy Pham🇺🇸16 Apr 2026
Crystal Battle🇺🇸16 Apr 2026
Marcus Battle🇺🇸12 Apr 2026
Rest in peace.
Abena Mensah🇨🇦10 Apr 2026
Thank you.
Jacob Shapiro🇮🇱4 Apr 2026
Fiona Norman🇺🇸2 Apr 2026
Darryl Davis🇺🇸21 Mar 2026
We remember.
Showing 20 of 166

Timeline

  1. 7 October 1931
    Born in Klerksdorp, South Africa
  2. 26 December 2021
    Died in Cape Town, South Africa
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