Obstacles to political success
Turner discusses some of the factors that have prevented her from more active political participation, including a lack of ready funds for dues and, to a lesser extent, the fact that she is a black woman.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Josephine Turner, June 7, 1976. Interview H-0235-2. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- AREN SINDELAR:
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The League of Women Voters, are you in that?
- JOSEPHINE TURNER:
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Well, I'm not as active in that as I would like to be, but I
am a member.
- KAREN SINDELAR:
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That's a fully biracial group, isn't it? Black and
white women?
- JOSEPHINE TURNER:
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Yes, black and white.
- KAREN SINDELAR:
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In this community do both black and white women have leadership
roles in the League of Women Voters?
- JOSEPHINE TURNER:
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Yes. Yes, when I was active they do. I haven't been to a
meeting there… That's what I said: working at
night has kept me from a lot of the meetings, you know. My
dues—in fact it's about time for me to pay my
dues. [laughter] So in a lot of those
things my dues are paid up, but I haven't been able to
participate as I desire.
- KAREN SINDELAR:
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Do you feel in any that you have been hurt any way by being a woman? I
mean, in terms of your political activity or community activity? Do you
feel like being a woman, or being a black person, has hurt you in any
way?
- JOSEPHINE TURNER:
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Well, I feel like that maybe I could have aggressed more if I had been a
man or maybe white, in some respects. Then again, you know I look at it
this way: I look at the human side of it. I feel like I'm
able to do the job as well as anybody else; in fact, I know I can given
the chance. But I know there's a lot of them up there
don't want me up there, black and white, because a lot of
people would be exposed that they don't want exposed. But
I'm going to still try.
- KAREN SINDELAR:
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You're actually president of this East End Community
Organization.
- JOSEPHINE TURNER:
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Right.
- KAREN SINDELAR:
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Have there been other women presidents before you?
- JOSEPHINE TURNER:
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No, I'm the first woman president.
- KAREN SINDELAR:
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Was that made an issue?
- JOSEPHINE TURNER:
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No.