The James and Janice Turner CBAA Scholarship Endowment honors the Turners for their combined nine decades of service to Cornell and will provide scholarships for qualifying African-American students who attend Cornell. James Turner, professor of African-American politics and social policy, was the first director of Cornell's Africana Studies and Research Center; Janice Turner is a retired associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences.
To make a contribution to this scholarship please go here.
Read the Cornell Chronicle article on the launch of the endowment.
Giving Back: Honoring inspiring mentors and teachers
The Cornell Black Alumni Association celebrates Dr. James and Dean Janice Turner for their years of mentorship, teaching, and counseling, with the establishment of the James and Janice Turner CBAA Scholarship Endowment. This scholarship will help provide financial support for future generations of African American students.
Great to see the Turners service honored and the support to provide greater access to the African American community @ Cornell.
There should be more efforts from the University and others in this intentional direction to make Cornell more diverse and inclusive.
So meaningful and necessary.
My husband David works alongside Hassan Turner, James and Janice Turner’s son. Hassan is a gift to this world, in each and every way, but this is no surprise since he is the legacy of his precious Mom & Dad.
Great job Cornell for honoring the most deserving James and Janice Turner
Most sincerely,
Barbara L. Morris
A proud friend of Hassan Turner
My interest in Africana Studies, is related to the establishment of a 2-year Black Studies Program, at the Weequahic High School, in Newark, New Jersey; a secondary public high school!
I am currently working on a project e.g., a book highlighting that programs success, in educating and molding the students enrolled in that program, in the best of Africanacentric traditions, first widely promoted by Dr. James Turner, the 1st Director of the Cornel University Africana Studies Department in 1969.
The thesis and overall purpose my book will be to initiate and promote such a program, as was offered and taught at the Weequahic High School, from 1969-1986; in all US secondary public schools.
This because that programs 2-year comprehensive program, illustrated how profoundly impactful such education was and can be for students of African descent and others, including faculty, staff, and administrators in those institutions, offering such a program!
Especially, in light of today’s ritualistic actions of truncating and erasing, and elimination of all said courses, in the nation’s secondary public schools!
Hopefully, a younger generation will take up the torch, and lead a movement to add such a program, or any like program to the current secondary public schools curriculum!
Please accept my apology for any and all grammatical errors or ommissions, in this commentary! PS.: Please allow me access to the department’s archives for this writing project! By: Sanford Joseph Williams Phone contact: (862) 316-6959. 6-3-25 3:53 am EST