Desmond Tutu Fight For Civil Rights

It was tumultuous. It was cramped. It was utterly heart breaking. The fight for civil rights was not easy. The fight for civil rights was not fun. The fight for civil rights is ongoing. Many Americans prefer to forget their history and pretend that their country has always been great and will always continue being great. It is time to face the truth. On August 20, 1619, a ship arrived at Jamestown. This was the ship that began all slavery in the newly formed America. The people aboard the ship had to either pay or become a servant for men in the colonies. It is solemnly known that slaves remained a great part of the American economy for hundreds of years (Chandler). Americans did not just bring slaves back to their home country; they invaded other peoples’ home country and made it their own. This lead to people being enslaved in a community where they were supposed to be safe. Even after slavery had subsided and all but disappeared, white people were still treated better based off nothing but their skin color. Black students got 10% of the education that white students did. Everyone was enraged but did not have the slightest clue of what to do. There was one man who stood out and took action; his name was Desmond Tutu (Jones). Desmond Tutu grew up knowing that he was under privileged, but he still found
happiness in the few things he was given. Tutu did not think it was wrong he was being mistreated until he saw a white man actually greet a black woman like she was a human being rather than a tool to utilize. This also made Tutu realize that religion was a powerful tool that could produce peace and fairness. Tutu went on record saying, “When the white missionaries came to Africa, they had the Bible and we had the land. They said “Let us pray.” We closed our eyes. When we opened them, we had the Bible and they had the land.” Tutu himself has never been brought to America as a slave, but he felt the horrendous things Americans had done to his ancestors (“Desmond Tutu Biography”). He knew it was injustice. He knew it was inhumane. He knew he was going to fight so it never happened again. Tutu went on to become a very powerful leader.
He found that he had to leave South Africa and go to London so he could get a better education. In 1972, Tutu became the associated director of the Theological Education Fund of the World Council of Churches in Kent. Tutu perfected this position for three years. He then became the first black person to be appointed to the Anglican Dean of Johannesburg. This is what helped him become known internationally. Tutu quickly went through many other positions until he got to the highest job in the Archbishop church. He strived to bring peace and happiness to the world, no matter what color (“Desmond Tutu
Biography”).
There is still discrimination happening in America, South Africa, and many other countries. Desmond Tutu was one of the few people who understood what it was like to be pulled away from home and forced into a life of hardships. Tutu knew deep down that if he did not step up and show the church that black people deserved rights, slavery would begin all over again. It was missionaries who took his ancestors, so he became a missionary. Tutu found peace through church, but he also gave the entire world the peace that he had found. He took the broken hearts and glued them together for the name of God and for the name of those who had been put through the hardships.