Voice for equality: Desmond Tutu turns 90

Tutu was born in 1931 in the mining town of Klerksdorp. He later became a teacher. When South Africa’s racist apartheid regime began discriminating against Black pupils, Tutu resigned his post. He pursued a career in theology, becoming Johannesburg's first Black bishop. Here, Tutu is seen celebrating his 86th birthday.

Many South Africans now place Tutu on the same pedestal as Nelson Mandela. As South Africa’s first democratically elected Black president, Mandela stood for political ideals while Tutu stood for the spiritual ideals of the “Rainbow Nation”, many observers argue. For them, South Africa without Tutu’s voice is unimaginable.

After apartheid was abolished, Mandela asked Tutu to lead the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Its purpose was for victims and perpetrators to come to terms with crimes committed during apartheid. Tutu and the TRC tried to find a middle ground between victor’s justice and amnesty, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. He presented Mandela with the TRC's final report in 1998.

Desmond Tutu’s non-violent opposition to apartheid was recognized when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. While Mandela and other freedom fighters languished in prison, Tutu took over the fight against racial segregation. Here, Egil Aarvik, chairman of the Nobel Committee in Oslo hands over the award.

In 2005, a monument honoring South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize winners was erected in the Nobel Square of the Cape Town Harbor. Sculptor Claudette Schreuders immortalized the four men: Albert Luthuli (1960), Desmond Tutu (1984), and F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, who shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, affectionately called "The Arch", has been called South Africa's moral leader, standing for human rights and opposing all discrimination. South Africa's 'Rainbow Nation' nickname is attributed to him. Known for his humor, Tutu is considered a world treasure. Here he meets the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, at the 2006 Peace Summit in Hiroshima.

When South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2010, Tutu presented himself as a South African patriot. Here he is in full Bafana Bafana kit (as the South African national football team is known) at the tournament’s opening fixture between South Africa and Mexico. All that’s missing is a vuvuzela, the deafening fan instrument popular in South African stadiums.

Nelson Mandela integrated Desmond Tutu early on in his platform "The Elders", which Mandela founded in 2010. The organization, which sought international cooperation for humanism and human rights, won high profile support from international personalities, including former US president Jimmy Carter and former UN Secretary Kofi Annan, see here with Tutu.

Desmond Tutu’s wife, Leah Nomalizo Tutu, stood with him throughout apartheid. An activist herself, she married Tutu in July 1955 – before Tutu transitioned from teacher to priest. The couple had four children and nine grandchildren. Together, they started a foundation to advocate for conflict resolution. Congrats to you, "Arch" Tutu!