William H. "Tex" Turner Jr.

A Vigil for William H. "Tex" Turner, Jr. will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church from 6 PM – 8 PM. The Omega rituals for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Connecting Links, and the Knights of Saint Peter Claver will take place. The Celebration of Life Mass will be held at Saint Agnes Catholic Church on Wednesday, January 4, 2017 at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations are made to Saint Francis Xavier Catholic School in memory of William H. Turner, Jr. - Saint Francis Xavier Catholic School; Attention: Paula Fabre; 1150 S.12th Street; Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802. The Internment will take place at Green Oaks Memorial Park. Arrangements are entrusted to Hall Davis & Sons Funeral Services, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. William H. 'Tex" Turner, Jr., one of Baton Rouge's preeminent educators, truth tellers, molders of men and women, master teachers, and Lay Ecclesial Ministers, departed this earth on Tuesday, December 27, 2016. He was 82 years old. Turner created a legacy, rooted in an unrelenting love of God, family, community, and the struggle of all those still longing for dignity in an imperfect world. Turner saw himself as part of an educational and spiritual continuum: A humble extension of a truth cypher that preceded him and one that would continue after his earthly contributions. His teaching style was one filled with easy to remember acronyms, repetitive scriptures, poetic phrases, and a true discipline for reading, writing, speaking, and critical thought. He was reared in the crucible of a Black Catholic community that charged him to be attentive to, Catholic social teaching, the prophets and apostles, and those Christian spiritualities forged in Africa and the Black American Struggle against enslavement. For the last 22 years of his life, he was an instructor of World Civilization at Southern University Baton Rouge, working also on weekends and summers teaching Upward Bound students. Turner also served as the Executive Director of Community Outreach to Reform Education (C.O.R.E.) Understanding William H. "Tex" Turner, Jr. requires that we grasp his personality as one forged in the transition from the Civil Rights (1955-1965) to the Black Power movements (1965-1975). Turner's most heroic moments in public life would come as the most militant expressions of the Black Power movement were declining, the Afrocentric movement in education was emerging, and the evolving discipline of his personal faith drew him closer to Jesus' teachings on "the love of neighbor" (Mark 12:31) and "the least of these" (Matthew 24:40). The writings of the Apostle Paul were also influential on Turner's thought, as he often referenced the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) as a basis for how he lived. However, his love for truth did not stop there, as he was an activist for voting rights, educational and economic opportunity, and full citizenship rights in a time where Baton Rouge Jim Crow institutions and culture changed slowly. Thus, one could easily surmise that, for Turner, education and faith were not the repetition of religious tradition or mundane educational standards, but a prophetic activity which required sacrifice and risks. From 1991 to 1995 Turner launched RENRUT Educational Consulting, that contributed to a national movement towards a black united front, in collaboration with Oba T'Shaka and Conrad Worrill. This movement worked for black community control of public schools, questioned racially biased academic standards, and posed new visions for educating urban youth. Turner served as Principal of Capitol Senior High School from 1979 – 1991. The Reagan years, while a backlash against black empowerment, also were years of resistance. While some white intellectuals and policy makers were concerned with the "disuniting of America," and wished to resist multi-cultural trends in education, Turner focused his efforts on launching The Capitol Way, a transformative educational method, that he described as "one by which the teaching of education will exist for the sake of all the young impressionable minds that entered Capitol High School's doors." Turner made Capitol a school where "everybody was somebody and a sense of achievement prevailed." He engendered "high hopes for the spiritual and intellectual growth of all students." This resulted in eighty percent (80%) of the students passing the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) and the average ACT score increased from ten (10) to seventeen (17) in eleven years. One of his students in a Facebook tribute to Turner stated, "whether you were a 4.0 student or a 0.4 student, he made you feel like you were the most important person on the planet. He constantly reminded us that we were not the summation of our life circumstances, but the epitome of hope. He consistently challenged us not to make excuses but to embrace the struggle, overcome the obstacles, and to be prepared for the hurdles that awaited. He filled us with pride." Turner, while at Capitol High School, won East Baton Rouge Parish Principal of the Year three times, created an environment where business people, government agencies (Louisiana Department of Employment and Training), private corporations (Ethyl), and educators, worked together to enhance student achievement for inner city youth. Turner, in a public controversy, faced repression as Principal of Capitol. Officially, he was forced into early retirement for impropriety. At a hearing, he was fined for trumped up charges regarding the school booster club and the almost one million dollars the club raised for school programs and projects. These penalties were later expunged. The tragic goal was fulfilled. The heroic school principal was removed because of his steadfast commitment to the "business of teaching and learning…." for students of color. This conflict illustrated that treachery is not the monopoly of the white race alone, and many people with coveted positions above society wanted this endeavor to be defeated. In line with his understanding of faith, Turner saw these events as a part of what it means to struggle with those dedicated to carving out their vision for Jesus' promise of community. Turner's career path to becoming the Principal of Capitol High School was rooted in the classrooms of rival McKinley Senior High School. McKinley High School is the oldest African American High School in Baton Rouge, and Turner's journey from a McKinley Senior High school student, classroom teacher, coach and school Assistant Principal, was inspired by Malcolm X's ideas of self-defense, and community-based educational curriculum control. Later in his life and via personal spiritual growth, Turner developed an increased appreciation for Dr. King's preaching against violence as well as King's espousal of love and fellowship. Turner recognized, reading the Gospel of Matthew, that the struggle for the 'least of these,' required that the sanctity of life had to remain as a fundamental ideal. Turner, as teacher and coach at McKinley High School, won Teacher of the Year twice, Coach of the Year five times, and Assistant Principal of the Year twice. He was inducted into the McKinley High School Hall of Fame in 1994 after compiling a distinguished academic career as a student, teacher and coach of several McKinley state track championship teams. These accomplishments were achieved during Jim Crow challenging Turner to find educational solutions towards the creation of academic, athletic, social, and political opportunities for all students. From 1959-1962, Turner learned successful strategies to assist children in excelling academically and athletically in Lake Charles, Louisiana, while serving as a first-time teacher and coach at Washington High School. After earning a B.S. degree in History Education from Grambling State University on a football scholarship while playing for the legendary Coach Eddie Robinson, he was drafted to the United States Army. Stationed in Germany, he taught English to Command Staff service members and competed athletically on an Army football team. Turner furthered his education, earning a Master's Degree in Administration and Supervision from Southern University. He additionally earned 70 plus hours from Southern University, University of Southwestern Louisiana, and Louisiana State University. Turner was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Phi Delta Kappa; the Knights of Saint Peter Claver, and he was a Connecting Link. In 1962 Tex Turner married Lorina Bartie, and together they had two children, Patrick William (Angelea) and Martha Angele Turner-Quest (Matthew). William is survived by his wife and children; four grandchildren, Kia, Beja, Daelyn, and Trinyty Turner; four great-grandchildren, Jaydon and Joshua Turner and Khloe and Kya Clark; two brothers, Leo Turner (Juanita) and Willie Gene Turner (Anna); a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his daughters: Babygirl Turner and Rhonda Turner; his mother, Martha Dunbar; his father, William Turner, Sr.; his sister, Laurel Jean Holder, and his grandson, Patrick Joseph (P.J.) Turner. Turner's academic career spanned nine decades. As a newly welcomed ancestor, Turner leaves behind the vibrations of a thunderous voice, bellowing out his favorite axiom, "KGF: Keep God First."