PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Preserving history is essential for teaching future generations. That's exactly what Diane Turner is all about.
"African American history is American history, and African history is world history, and it's for everybody," she said.
Turner is an accomplished author and curator of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University, but she also has a passion for mentoring and teaching young students.
"One thing that I try to let them is to have a sense of pride in their history," she said. "We teach young people about the service of African Americans because oftentimes, it gets left out. And African Americans have served in every war, from the American Revolution up to the present."
Turner's own mentor was her father, who was a Montford Point Marine, which desegregated the Marine Corps. She is now president of the Philadelphia Chapter 1 Auxiliary of the Montford Point Marines Association.
She encourages and helps others to save documents and historical artifacts in their own families and communities, sharing history with the next generation.
"For every bad thing that happens or we hear about, there's 100,000 good things that are going on," she said. "I want to be part of the 100,000 good things that are going on."
During Black History Month, KYW Newsradio's GameChangers honors 10 individuals or organizations that have made a significant, positive impact in communities of color in the greater Philadelphia region. KYW community affairs reporter Racquel Williams will host an evening honoring this year's awardees on Feb. 22. View the 2023 honorees here.
