Editing Albert Luthuli (section)

== Early life ==
[[File:Aerial view of Solusi Adventist University.jpg|thumb|upright|left|alt=Aerial photograph of a university in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe surrounded by many trees.|The former site of Solusi Mission Station, which is now [[Solusi University]].]]
Albert John Luthuli was born at the Solusi Mission Station, a [[Seventh-day Adventist]] missionary station, in 1898{{efn|Luthuli calculates his birth year as 1898. His date of birth is unknown.{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=24}}}}{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=15}} to John and Mtonya Luthuli ([[Birth name|née]] Gumede) who had settled in the [[Bulawayo]] area of [[Company rule in Rhodesia|Rhodesia]] (now [[Zimbabwe]]).{{sfn|Woodson|1986|p=345}} He was the youngest of three children{{sfn|Couper|2010|p=8}} and had two brothers, Mpangwa, who died at birth, and Alfred Nsusana.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=15}} Luthuli's father died when he was about six months old, and Luthuli had no recollection of him. His father's death led to him being mainly raised by his mother Mtonya, who had spent her childhood in the royal household of [[Cetshwayo|King Cetshwayo]] in [[Zulu Kingdom|Zululand]].{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=23}}

Mtonya had converted to [[Christianity]] and lived with the [[American Board Mission]] prior to her marriage to John Luthuli. During her stay, she learned how to read and became a dedicated reader of the [[Bible]] until her death. Despite being able to read, Mtonya never learned how to write. After their marriage, Luthuli's father left [[Colony of Natal|Natal]] and went to Rhodesia during the [[Second Matabele War]] to serve with the [[British South African Company|Rhodesian forces]].{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=24}} When the war ended, John stayed in Rhodesia with a Seventh-day Adventist mission near Bulawayo and worked as an [[interpreter]] and [[evangelism|evangelist]]. Mtonya and Alfred then travelled to Rhodesia to reunite with John, and Luthuli was born there soon after.{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=24}}

Luthuli's paternal grandparents, Ntaba ka Madunjini and Titsi Mthethwa, were born in the early nineteenth century and had fought against potential annexation from [[Shaka|Shaka's]] Zulu Kingdom.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=16}} They were also among the first converts of [[Aldin Grout]], a [[missionary]] from the [[American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions]] (ABM), which was based near the Umvoti River north of [[Durban]].{{sfn|Couper|2010|p=7}} The abasemakholweni, a [[Conversion to Christianity|converted Christian]] community within the Umvoti Mission Station, elected Ntaba as their [[tribal chief|chief]] in 1860. This marked the start of a family tradition, as Ntaba's brother, son Martin, and grandson Albert were also subsequently elected as chiefs.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=16}}

=== Youth ===
[[File:Groutville Church.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A black and white photo of 13 Christian Zulu men seated outside of a church.|Pastor and Deacons at a Groutville Church in 1900.]]
Around 1908 or 1909, the [[Seventh-day Adventists]] expressed their interest in beginning missionary work in [[Colony of Natal|Natal]] and requested the services of Luthuli's brother, Alfred, to work as an interpreter. Luthuli and his mother followed, and departed Rhodesia to return to South Africa. Luthuli's family settled in the [[Vryheid]] district of Northern Natal, and resided on the farm of a Seventh-day Adventist. During this time, Luthuli was responsible for tending to the missionary's [[mule|mules]] as educational opportunities were not available. Luthuli's mother recognised his need for a formal education and sent him to live in [[Groutville]] under the care of his uncle.{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=25}} Groutville was a small village inhabited predominantly by [[peasant|poor]] [[Christian]] [[farmers]] who were affiliated with the nearby [[mission station]] run by the [[American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions]] (ABM). The ABM, which commenced operations in Southern Africa in 1834, was a [[Congregational church|Congregationalist]] organisation responsible for setting up the Umvoti Mission Station. After the death of ABM missionary [[Aldin Grout]] in 1894, the town surrounding the mission station was renamed Groutville.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=16}}

Luthuli resided in the home of his uncle, Chief Martin Luthuli, and his family. Martin was the first democratically elected chief of Groutville. In 1901, Martin founded the Natal Native Congress, which would later become the Natal branch of the African National Congress.{{sfn|Kumalo|2009|p=2}}{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=18}} Luthuli had a pleasant childhood as his uncle Martin was guardian over many children in Groutville, which led to Luthuli having many friends of his own age.{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=4}} In Martin's traditional [[Zulus|Zulu]] household, Luthuli completed chores expected of a Zulu boy his age such as fetching water, herding, and building fires.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=18}} Additionally, he attended school for the first time.{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=4}} Under Martin's care, Luthuli was also provided with an early knowledge of traditional African politics and affairs, which aided him in his future career as a traditional chief.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|pp=16, 18}}

=== Education ===
[[File:Ohlange High School.jpg|thumb|upright|right|alt=A photograph taken in 2014 of a large memorial within a school surrounded by trees.|John Dube's memorial outside of the Ohlange Institute.]]
Luthuli's mother, Mtonya, returned to Groutville and Luthuli returned to her care. They lived in a brand-new house built by his brother, Alfred, on the site where their grandfather, Ntaba, had once lived.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=19}} In order to be able to send her son to boarding school, Mtonya worked long hours in the fields of the land she owned. She also took in laundry from European families in the township of [[KwaDukuza|Stanger]]{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=4}} to earn the necessary money for school.{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=6}} Luthuli was educated at a local ABM mission school until 1914, and then transferred to the [[Ohlange High School|Ohlange Institute]].{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=6}}

Ohlange was founded by [[John Dube]], who was the [[head teacher|school principal]] at the time Luthuli attended.{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=28}} Dube was educated in America but returned to South Africa to open the Ohlange Institute to provide an education to black children. He was the first President-General of the [[South African Native National Congress]] and founded the first [[Zulu language|Zulu-language]] newspaper, [[Ilanga lase Natal]].{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=6}} Luthuli joined the ANC in 1944, partially out of respect to his former school principal.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=29}}

Luthuli describes his experience at the Ohlange Institute as "rough-and-tumble."{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=28}} The outbreak of [[World War I]] led to [[rationing]] and a scarcity of food among the African population. After attending Ohlange for only two terms, Luthuli was transferred to Edendale, a [[Methodist]] school near [[Pietermaritzburg]], the capital of [[Province of Natal|Natal]].{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=28}} It was at Edendale that Luthuli participated in his first act of [[civil disobedience]].{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=20}} He joined a [[protest]] against a [[school discipline|punishment]] which made boys carry large stones long distances, damaging their [[school uniforms|uniforms]], and leaving many unable to afford replacements.{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=29}}{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=6}} The demonstration failed and Luthuli along with the rest of the strikers were punished by the school.{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|p=30}} At Edendale, Luthuli developed a passion for teaching and went on to graduate with a teaching degree in 1917.{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=6}}{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=20}}

=== Teaching ===
[[File:LuthuliCropped.png|thumb|upright|left|alt=Black and white photo from the late 1920s featuring Albert Luthuli, elegantly dressed in a suit.|Albert Luthuli in the late 1920s.]]
Around the age of nineteen years old, Luthuli's first job after graduation came as a principal at a rural [[middle school|intermediate school]] in Blaauwbosch, located in the [[Province of Natal|Natal]] midlands. The school was small, and Luthuli was the sole [[teacher]] working there.{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=6}} While teaching at Blaauwbosch, Luthuli lived with a [[Methodism|Methodist's]] family. As there were no [[Congregational church|Congregational churches]] around him, he became the student of a local [[Methodist]] [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]], the [[The Reverend|Reverend]] Mthembu. He was confirmed in the Methodist church and later became a [[lay preacher]].{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|pp=32}}{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=7}}

Luthuli proved himself to be a good teacher and the Natal Department of Education offered him a [[bursary]] in 1920 to study for a Higher Teacher's Diploma at [[Adams College]].{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=20-21}} Following the completion of his two years of study, he was offered another bursary, this time to study at the [[University of Fort Hare]] in the [[Cape Province|Eastern Cape]]. He refused, as he wanted to earn a salary to take care of his ageing mother.{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=7}} This led him to accept a teaching position at Adams College, where he and [[Z. K. Matthews]] were among the first African teachers at the school.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=21}} Luthuli taught [[Zulu people|Zulu]] history, [[Zulu music|music]], and literature,{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=21}}{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=7}} and during his time as a teacher, he met his future wife, [[Nokukhanya Bhengu]].{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|pp=43}} She was also a teacher at Adams and the granddaughter of a Zulu chief.{{sfn|Luthuli|1962|pp=43}}{{sfn|Benson|1963|p=8}} Luthuli was committed to providing quality education to African children and led the Teachers' College at Adams where he trained aspiring teachers and travelled to different institutions to teach students.{{sfn|Vinson|2018|p=21}}