Albert Luthuli accepts the Nobel Peace Prize

Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli, president of the then banned African National Congress (ANC), was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for advocating non-violent resistance to racial discrimination in South Africa. Though the apartheid government restricted his movements, Luthuli was granted special permission in 1961 to attend the award ceremony in Oslo, Norway. In his speech he said that he considered the award "a recognition of the sacrifices made by the peoples of all races in South Africa particularly the African people who have endured and suffered so much for so long". The chairperson of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Gunnar Jahn, praised him for his commitment to the peaceful struggle for human rights in South Africa. The ceremony was also attended by King Olav of Norway. Luthuli was the first Black African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.