The Power of Christian Witness- Defining Moment of Desmond Tutu

This was on BBC's Web July 17^th, 2003 "Defining moments:

A BBC series is asking some of the world's most influential people about the defining moments in their life.

Desmond Tutu- the Archbishop of Johannesburg, Desmond Tutu was one of the key leaders in the fight to rid South Africa of apartheid. Tells of his biggest defining moment in my life was when I saw the missionary Trevor Huddleston when he was nine .

"The biggest defining moment in my life was when I saw Trevor Huddleston and I was maybe nine or so.

I didn't know it was Trevor Huddleston, but I saw this tall, white priest in a black cassock doff his hat to my mother who was a domestic worker.

I didn't know then that it would have affected me so much, but it was something that was really - it blew your mind that a white man would doff his hat.

And subsequently I discovered, of course, that this was quite consistent with his theology that every person is of significance, of infinite value, because they are created in the image of God.

And the passion with which he opposed apartheid and any other injustice is something that I sought then to emulate.