Civil rights and labor leader Margaret Turner has died. She was involved in numerous struggles for civil rights in Durham. Turner played an important role in turning people out to events and speaking up at work and in the community.
State Senator Floyd McKissick knew Turner and says she was one of the “unsung heroes” of the movement:
"If it had not been for people like Margaret Turner who were out there organizing and supporting all the civil rights issues, helping to get people to the picket lines, helping to get folks that might be interested in becoming involved in desegregating our school system, many of the advances that we enjoy today would not have been realized."
Turner worked at the American Tobacco Company for 38 years. She was an active union member and part of a successful class action discrimination lawsuit against the company. Turner passed away last week and the funeral service will be held Friday.