Desmond Tutu Born in 1931 in South Africa, Desmond Tutu established a career in education before tur

Desmond Tutu

Born in 1931 in South Africa, Desmond Tutu established a career in education before turning to theology, ultimately becoming one of the world’s most prominent spiritual leaders. Tutu is widely regarded as “South Africa’s moral conscience.”

In 1978, Tutu, an Anglican bishop, was appointed general secretary of his country’s Council of Churches and became a leading spokesperson for the rights of black South Africans. During the 1980s he played an almost unrivaled role in drawing national and international attention to the iniquities of apartheid, and in 1984 he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

He later chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and has continued to draw attention to a number of social justice issues over the years. In 2009, President Obama honored Tutu with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Tutu retired from public life in 2010 but has kept speaking out on issues ranging from Mideast peace to corruption among South Africa’s political elite.

Photo credits: Gallo Images/Getty Images, Gallo Images/Sunday Times/Getty Images, Gallo Images/Avusa/Rene Oosthuisen, Helmuth Lohmann/AP, Gill Allen/AP, Desmond Boylan/Reuters, Nick Wass/AP, J. Scott Applewhite/AP,

See more photos of Desmond Tutu’s life and our other slideshows on Yahoo News.