Tutu as I Know Him On a Personal Note - Compiled and edited by Lavinia Crawford-Browne in collaboration with Piet Meiring - Umuzi - 2006, first edition - 224pp, black and white illustrations - Hard softcover an new.
This inspiring collection has been gathered from many of those who know Desmond Mpilo Tutu as a township child, student, father, young priest, academic, bishop, activist, archbishop, cricket enthusiast, Nobel laureate, emeritus archbishop, chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, United Nations Eminent Person … and, always, as a person who walks with God. In Tutu As I Know Him people from all walks of life, and all religious denominations – Madiba, the Dali Lama, Denzel Washington, Bono, Nadine Gordimer, Kofi Annan … as well as family members reflect on a personal relationship with “the Arch”. Together, their recollections form a picture of a man who has emerged as one of the spiritual giants of the century, presenting him more intimately for those whose only knowledge of him comes through hearsay or the media.
From Tutu As I Know Him, page 68
Tshepo Masango, daughter of Professor Maake Masango, remembers a memorable day when Archbishop Tutu on a visit to Atlanta (USA) answered in person a letter she had written to him years before. On his way to an official function, Tutu directed his chauffeur to make a detour to Tshepo’s primary school. Atlanta newspapers, reported on the incident at length.
In one simple act of generosity, Archbishop Tutu shaped my life forever. I left South Africa in 1986, young and alone. In America I did not find complete solace or peace. At school, there were little moments, like the half-hearted attempts by my peers to pronounce my name, followed by a litany of ignorant questions about Africa that undercut my confidence. Amid homesickness, one children’s book about Archbishop Tutu inspired me. So, at the age of seven, I decided to write him a letter. I can’t quite remember the content of it, except that I invited him to “show and tell”, where I could share him with my class.
A few months later, he responded to my letter but did not mention anything about attending “show and tell”, but I was sure that, one day, he would come. Four years later, on 8 February 1990, Archbishop Tutu walked into my elementary school. Many remember the story best by my first grade teacher’s surprised response when he entered our class room. “Oh my God!” she exclaimed after immediately bowing.
He modestly replied, “No Madame, it’s just the Archbishop.” The words that he exchanged with me before leaving school that day resonate with me the most. “Study hard, we’ll need educated leaders after liberation.”
These words and his visit affected both my personal and educational development. At the time, the grace and presence Tutu exuded as he walked through my school was a symbol of African dignity. But, in retrospect, his presence evoked much more than just pride in my heritage and history that had often seemed distant since I had left. In the midst of his busy schedule, his visit to a child was an expression of selfless humanity. I still remember his words. By entrusting the future to me, these words crystallised my commitment to my education and to my country.
Each story is a mirror reflecting a response to the human condition and, together, they make up an image – a quite remarkable one.
From the introduction to Tutu As I Know Him by Lavinia Crawford Browne
