The Liberating Humour of Desmond Tutu

Abstract

Focusing on the humanizing humour of Desmond Tutu, this article explores the ways in which oppressed people employed (Christian) humour – amid the most difficult living conditions – during the South African struggle against the apartheid system. For comparative purposes and in order to place Desmond Tutu alongside fellow anti-apartheid leaders as well as within the societal milieu within which they all worked, we also briefly consider the use of humour in the life and work of both Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko. We conclude that, in his activism, in his preaching, in his public speaking, and in the conduct of his spirituality, Desmond Tutu has been one of the most effective employers of humour as a tool for the humanization of insiders and outsiders, friends and foes, humans and fellow creatures.