Albert John Luthuli President of the African National Congress Country: South Africa

1. Biography of Albert John Lutuli
2. A Life of Leadership
3. A Voice for Resistance
4. Standing Against Injustice
5. A Global Recognition

Biography of Albert John Lutuli

Albert John Lutuli was the President of the African National Congress (ANC). He was born in Groutville, Natal province, where his father worked as a translator in a Congregationalist mission, and his uncle was a chief of the Abasemakhulweni tribe, which belonged to the Zulu ethnic group. After attending a missionary school, Lutuli enrolled in a teacher training college in Adams near Durban. He taught history and literature until he heeded the requests of the elders of Groutville to assume the position of a leader.

A Life of Leadership

Lutuli attended religious conferences in India in 1938 and the United States in 1948. In South Africa, he held positions such as Chairman of the Council of Congregationalist Churches, President of the Natal Missionary Conference, and Executive Director of the South African Christian Council. In 1945, Lutuli joined the African National Congress (ANC) and became the president of its Natal provincial branch.

A Voice for Resistance

In 1952, when the ANC and the South African Indian Congress launched a campaign of resistance, Lutuli openly supported this action. In October 1952, the government offered him a choice between remaining in the ANC or relinquishing his position as a leader. In November 1952, Lutuli stepped down from his leadership position, and in December 1952, he was elected as the President of the ANC.

Standing Against Injustice

In 1954, Lutuli joined a protest campaign against the forced removal of Africans from the outskirts of Sophiatown to Meadowlands. He was arrested in December 1956 on charges of treason, but was released due to lack of evidence. In May 1959, following a speech at a mass rally in the Cape Province, he was banished to a village. He was forbidden from speaking at gatherings, as a court ruling stated that his speeches incited "feelings of hostility."

A Global Recognition

In 1961, Lutuli was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In his acceptance speech, he stated that he saw the prize as a tribute to all democracy supporters on both sides of the racial divide. In 1962, his book "Let My People Go" was published, further amplifying his call for justice and equality.