Alberta Turner Biography

Beloved Alberta Banner Turner
Liberty University
Abstract
Alberta Banner Turner was the first woman to earn a doctoral degree from Ohio State University. She was also the first in her family to complete high school and college. Dr. Turner had a significant love for the equal rights of African Americans. From a very young age, Dr. Turner advocated equal rights for all until the time that she died. She was also apart of many Civil Rights groups. She was the head of various considerable home economic departments. Doctor Turner spent most of her vocation concentrating on juvenile delinquents’ behaviors. She put her life at risk numerous times in order to speak with some of the states’ worst gang leaders. Because of
this, many young people looked at Dr. Turner as a role model. Everyday of Dr. Turner’s life was spent being productive, and because of that she really helped pave the way for black psychologists who came after her. However, Dr. Turner did not want to be seen by her achievements in the psychology field. She wanted to be seen by her activism.
Beloved Alberta Banner Turner Alberta Banner Turner is a name that only a few individuals know in the psychology world. Like Mamie Phipps Clark and Ruth Winifred Howard, Ms. Turner helped pave the way for equal rights of African Americans. Dr. Turner was highly intelligent and served a lot of time helping her community. She is a noted civil and women’s rights activist. Alberta Turner was born on March 17, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois.
Her parents were James and Mable Banner. Not too long after Dr. Turner’s birth did the Banners move to Columbus, Ohio. From a very young age Dr. Turner advocated equal rights (Columbus Citizens Fight for Civil Rights [CCFCR], 1938). East High School is the high school that Turner attended. While attending this school, Dr. Turner participated in a whites only prom in order to challenge racial segregation (Warren, 1999). When this occurred she was only 16 years of age. However, she still graduated from East High School in 1925. This is when Dr. Turner realized what she was passionate about and who she wanted to impact when she grew older (Warren, 1999). Not only was Turner the first person to graduate from high school in her family, but she was also the first person to earn a college diploma (Barton & Gainer, 2012). In 1929, Dr. Turner earned her bachelor’s degree in home economics from Ohio State University. Shortly after this Dr. Turner became head of the Department of Home Economics at Wiberforce University (Barton & Gainer, 2012). During this time she was working on her Masters. In 1931, she earned her Masters degree in education from Ohio State University. Dr. Turner worked vigorously during the summer in order to earn that degree (Warren, 1999). Samuel Renshaw, an experimental psychologist, supervised her work (Vaughn,
2010).
Four years after that, 1935, Alberta Turner became the very first African American woman to earn a PhD in psychology from Ohio State University. Dr. Turner was one of the first three black women to earn a doctoral degree in all of America. Dr. Turner’s dissertation was titled, “The Effects of Practice on the Perception and Memorization of Digits Presented in Single Exposure” (CCFCR, 1938). Dr. Renshaw was also Dr. Turner’s supervisor when she was completing her doctoral degree. Ms. Turner then moved to North Carolina after the completion of her doctoral Degree from Ohio State University (Warren, 1999). Dr. Turner served as the head of the Department of Home Economics at Winston-Salem College in North Carolina for about a year. She later became Chair of the Home Economics Division at Lincoln University in Missouri and a professor of psychology (Warren, 1999). Dr. Turner was a phenomenal woman who had many achievements.
For about a year, Dr. Turner lived in Louisiana. From 1938 to 1939, Dr. Turner was the head of the home economic department of Southern University and then she went back to North Carolina (Vaughn, 2010). Then she accepted the position of head of the home economic department of Bennett College for Women. Her lectures were on consumer issues at the college. In 1938, Dr. Turner and her friends attempted to enter a whites only theater in Ohio but were not allowed in (Vaughn, 2010). So, Dr. Turner and another female filed a warrant for the manager’s arrest and they won the case. Because of Dr. Turner’s action, many other people took a stand against racial segregation venues in Ohio (Warren, 1999). In 1941, Dr. Turner was awarded a fellowship to Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri (Vaughn, 2010). Not too long after that Dr. Turner married John G. Turner, and soon after that she would be giving birth to her first child. So, Dr. Turner went back to Columbus, Ohio for maternity leave (Barton & Gainer, 2012). However, during this time Dr. Turner extended her activism to include education for African Americans (Warren, 1999).
In 1944, Dr. Turner became a clinician at the Ohio Bureau of Juvenile Research (Vaughn, 2010). This became the field that Dr. Turner continued in for the rest of her vocation. After a couple of years, Dr. Turner was promoted to chief psychologist at the Ohio Bureau of Juvenile Research. During this time she continued to do work outside of the bureau (Hoover, 1999). Doctor Turner lead consumer education courses on issues such as black investment markets, credit unions, and insurance for soldiers and their wives. In 1946, she conducted lectures about the history and support of inter-race relations (Warren, 1999).
Also, Dr. Turner was the fourth national president of Jack and Jill America (Warren, 1999). It is safe to say that this is one of the oldest organizations that support African American children. In 1950, Dr. Turner became the director of The Links organization (Barton & Gainer, 2012). The Link organization is still a prominent program today, which supports the ambitions of black women in their endeavors (Hoover, 1999). Dr. Turner’s ambition is what helped her to have so many successes. Quitting was one thing that she never viewed as an option during rough times. In 1963, Dr. Turner was promoted to director of research for the Ohio Youth Commission (Vaughn, 2010). Dr. Turner was also teaching graduate classes at Ohio State University and was also a psychologist at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, while being a director for a very prestigious organization at the time (Warren, 1999). When one looks at Dr. Turner’s hectic schedule it seems unrealistic to achieve so much and still remain sane. However, Dr. Turner not only managed to stay sane, but she was also genuinely joyful almost 90% of the time no matter how challenging her situation might have been. Because of Dr. Turner’s determination, her life was never a dull moment (Hoover, 1999).
In 1971, Dr. Turner retired from the director of research position of the Ohio Youth Commission. Turner worked for the Ohio Youth Commission for 27 years. But she did not become idle once she retired. Dr. Turner continued to conduct research on juvenile delinquents and sometimes drove around with some of the toughest gang leaders in the country (Warren, 1999). She also became an administrative assistant to Weight Watchers of Central Ohio during this year (Warren, 1999). Dr. Turner examined the psychological aspects of obesity. This may be a surprise to many but Dr. Turner was also a Mary Kay cosmetics director. From the years of 1972 to 1976 Dr. Turner served on the Ohio Criminal Justice Supervisory Commission (Warren, 1999). This committee supervised the execution of a Federal Omnibus Crime Bill Act to help reduce crime and improve the criminal justice system of Ohio.
On January 31, 2008, Dr. Turner said her final goodbyes to the earth and passed away in her home in Hawaii. Dr. Turner left two of her children to carry on her legacy – her daughter, Kay and her son, John (Warren, 1999). However, her daughter Kay died only a few months after Dr. Turner. Throughout Dr. Turner’s entire life, she experienced racial discrimination herself, especially in the field of psychology (Barton & Gainer, 2012). But that never stopped Dr. Turner from fighting for the rights of others as well as for her self. It is easy to say that Dr. Turner was fearless and had a huge heart. For such a virtuous psychologist, Dr. Turner’s death was barely noticed in the psychological world (Barton & Gainer, 2012). Though Dr. Alberta Banner Turner does not get the recognition she so rightfully deserves, she is still apart of history and no one can remove or take away her achievements.
I chose Dr. Alberta Banner Turner because while reading a short story about her I became captivated with her crusading for African American’s rights and her successes. I wanted to understand just how could a woman like this achieve so much in such a little time. To me Doctor Turner is a champion; to me Dr. Turner’s life was beyond imperative to the field of psychology. Dr. Turner was such a humble, resilient, ambitious, funny woman. Her accomplishments were rapid and always happened one after the other. She never allowed the complexion of her skin to determine how much she could achieve in life and that is what inspires me the most.
While growing up I was the darkest girl in my family and among my friend groups, so I often felt very insecure. I was even darker than my brothers and to me that was a horrible thing. I was born in the Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, which is in the Caribbean and your complexion does not really matter. However, when I moved to the U.S, my peers often made fun of me. I was told that I was too dark or not as pretty as the other girls in my class and this really took a toll on me. This discrimination and bullying occurred for seven years and it started to affect my grades. It was not until I got to the 11th grade that I started to feel comfortable in my skin.
Sadly, there are so many children who suffer with these thoughts as well but never speak up. As a child I was so ashamed of my complexion sometimes that I often tried to scrub the darkness off of my skin with a rag or use some of my family members bleaching cream. In today’s society, the complexion of one’s skin may not seem like it is a big deal but it is. No matter, where you go if you have darker skin you are considered Black/African American and if you have lighter skin you are considered White or Hispanic. However, everyone who is dark is not Black or African American. There are people who have dark skin that are Hispanic, Middle Eastern, or Caribbean. But to society there is no difference. It is sad to say but in today’s society someone’s skin tone can hinder him or her from certain achievements.
Dr. Turner showed me that the only time your complexion can hinder your future is if you allow it to. Luckily, I grew to love myself sooner rather than later in life. But after learning more about Dr. Turner, I am even more motivated to not only be seen as a successful black woman, but an activist and a phenomenal psychologist. Dr. Turner may not be a well-known psychologist, but she will always live on through me. Like Dr. Alberta Banner Turner, I hope to be an extraordinary woman of faith and intelligence for the Black community. She has shown me that no obstacle is ever too high to climb. Dr. Alberta Banner Turner is now one of my inspirations.

References
Barton, R. L., & Gainer, E. (2012) Alberta Banner Turner Featured for Archives Month. Center for the History of Psychology.
Columbus Citizens Fight for Civil Rights (1938).
Atlanta Daily World, 1.
Hoover, F. (1999). Turner 's determination the backbone of her career. The Columbus Dispatch, pp. 04D
Warren, W. (1999). Black women scientists in the United States. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Vaughn, K. (2010). Alberta Banner Turner. Washington: Society for the Psychology of Women.

Appendix
A. Advocacy of Equal Rights for African Americans
Dr. Turner began fighting racial segregation and discrimination at a very young age.
Her determination impacted many individuals around her, which gave them the strength to stand up to racial injustices as well.
B. Direct of Research for the Ohio Youth Commission
Dr. Turner played a very active role at this facility.
She travelled with some of he worst delinquents always managing to stay safe and helped impact their lives in a good way.
C. Author of “The Psychologist at the Juvenile Diagnostic Center: Past, Present and Future”
Informed future psychologists of what to expect and requirements.
This article was very beneficial during that time for all psychologists to read in order to better understand juvenile
delinquents.