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Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born October 7, 1931 in Klerksdorph, Transvaal. At the age of 12, Tutu moved with his family to Johannesburg. Even though Desmond Tutu wanted to be a physician, his family couldn't afford the training, so, instead, he followed his father's footsteps into teaching. Tutu began his studies at Pretoria Bantu Normal College from 1951-1953, and at this time he also received his diploma. He later went on to the University of South Africa and received his Bachelor of Arts degree.

On July 2, 1955, he married his wife, Leah, and they later had four children. He went on teaching at Johannesburg Bantu High School where he remained until 1957. Desmond Tutu then resigned following the passage of the Bantu Education Act, protesting the poor educational prospects for black South Africans. Desmond Tutu continued to study theology and in 1960 was ordained as an Anglican Priest. He was then named the Anglican Dean of Johannesburg, South Africa in 1975.

In 1978 he was the first black to hold the position of Dean of St. Mary's Cathedral in Johannesburg. He later became the Bishop of Lesotho. Later on in the year, he became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. The South African Council of Churches is a contact organization for the churches of South Africa and functions as a national committee for the World Council of Churches. About 80 percent of their members are black, and they now dominate the leading positions. During this time, Tutu gained International recognition for his vocalization against racial apartheid.

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13y ago

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