Beauty Turner

Beauty Turner (1957–2008) was a Chicago housing activist and journalist. At the time of her death, she was compared to the civil rights leader Ida B. Wells.^[1][2]

Career

Turner was well known for her Ghetto Bus Tours which gave a voice to those who were unable to. She was Associate Editor of Chicago (South) Street Journal and a columnist for the Hyde Park Herald and a number of other local newspapers. She was also an activist in the community. Towards the end of her career, Turner worked as a research assistant for Professor Sudhir Venkatesh, a sociologist at Columbia University. Her writings have appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.^[3][4]

Awards and honors

Turner won a number of awards through her career as a journalist which include:

• First New America Award by the National Society of Professional Journalists
• Winner of a Studs Terkel
• Peter Lisagor
• Associated Press award
• Chicago Association for Black Journalist award
• Courageous voice award for her community activism
• Black Pearl award
• Woman of the Century award
• Shero award from the Empowerment Zone Committee^[3][4]

Personal

For 16 years, Turner lived in the Robert Taylor Homes, one of the nation's most well known public housing.^[3] She had two sons named Larry and Landon Turner and also her a daughter named Latanya Turner. Her grandson is Reezy Turner.^[5]

Death

Turner died on December 18, 2008 at the age of 51. She suffered from an aneurysm and fell into a coma and never recovered. She died at Rush University Medical Center.^[5]

References