Obama calls Desmond Tutu the world’s ‘moral compass’

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Nobel Peace Prize laureate and retired Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu is being lauded around the world after his death Sunday at age 90. Throughout the 1980s — when South Africa was gripped by anti-apartheid violence and a state of emergency gave police and the military sweeping powers — Tutu was one of the most prominent Black leaders speaking out against racist abuses. He also was a top activist against racial injustice globally and a firm supporter of LGBTQ rights and same-sex marriage. Former U.S. President Barack Obama called Tutu “ a mentor, a friend, and a moral compass for me and so many others.” The Dalai Lama said Tutu “was entirely dedicated to serving his brothers and sisters for the greater common good.”