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Meet The Woman With The Vision Karyn Turner

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Miss Black Staten Island and Miss Black Richmond County was revived by Karyn Turner because of the need to highlight and expose exceptional young women of color that have unfortunately gone unnoticed far too long. She was crowned Miss Black Staten Island 1972 by the now defunct Staten Island Urban League.  Ms. Turner was born in Harlem, New York and moved with her family as a young child to Staten Island. She lived in West Brighton and Meiers Corners, while attending PS 18, IS 27, Susan Wagner High school and she attended Wagner College. Karyn received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Empire State College and her Master’s degree from Touro College in NYC.  Ms. Turner has called Paris, France and Sicily, Italy home and she has modeled throughout Europe and the states. From her extensive travels, Karyn has numerous contacts in the entertainment and professional athletic communities.  She has performed with a number of famous Hip Hop groups including appearances in Madison Square Garden and the infamous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York City. Presently, Karyn is an employee of the New York City Department of Education. Ms. Turner brings a lifetime of commitment to the development of young women in her adopted borough. Her commitment as executive director and founder of her company Kaleidoscope Mode is to further bridge some of the social and cultural gaps that exist in Richmond County. Ms. Turner also served as a legislative assistant for the legendary assembly woman Elizabeth Connelly, who was famous for many of the advancements and special initiatives for the Developmentally Disabled population and others in need in Staten Island.  Ms. Turner’s parents, Letitia and Raymond Turner were well known community activists not just on Staten Island but in Harlem also.  Her parents’ endless outreach and positive involvement in their local community inspired her to follow in their footsteps.  Her younger brother, Kevin ‘Truck’ Turner was a sought after mentor to many young boys as well. Although Kevin passed over 10 years ago, his spirit of giving back has continued with his younger brother, Kirk Turner and his sister.   The impact and result of these experiences have inspired Ms. Turner to focus on mentoring programs which her nonprofit organization, Kaleidoscope Mode began last year one local high schools and will extend to include another this year on Staten Island.

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