The belief that there is still much to do to eradicate the legacy of three centuries of racial oppression is what spurs Naomi Tutu to continue to speak out about the situations in South Africa. Tutu, third daughter of South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Nomalizo, founded and was the chairperson of the Tutu Foundation, which from 1985 until 1990, helped South African refugees in African countries. The Foundation gave refugees scholarships so that they could learn skills that would make them self-supporting while in exile as well as preparing them for constructive roles in the free South Africa.

 Tutu, born in Krugersdorp, South Africa, holds a BA in Economics and French from Berea College, in Berea, KY, and an MA in International Economic Development from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Economic Development at the University of Kentucky. In addition, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Universal Orthodox College of Ogun State, Nigeria in 1985. She is currently writing her dissertation for a doctorate with the London School of Economics while teaching in the School of Education at the University of Connecticut at Storrs.

 Upon completing her Masters, Tutu served as a consulting associate for Equator Advisory Services Ltd., a private consulting firm in sub-Saharan Africa and carried out consulting work in South Africa looking into educational and professional opportunities for black women. Since then, Tutu has taught courses on development issues and education in Africa at the Universities of Hartford and Connecticut and Brevard College in North Carolina. Tutu has also worked at the University of Cape Town where she was a program coordinator at the African Gender Institute. She was in charge of programs on race and gender and the gender-based violence in education.

 Presently, Tutu is program coordinator for the Race Relations Institute at Fisk University. The Institute is charged with focusing on the problem of racism in the global community. She has received numerous awards and honors from different organizations such as the California State Legislature, the Kentucky State Branches of the NAACP, the Boston City Council, Outstanding Youth Women of America, Who's Who of Africans in America and Dollars and Sense magazine.