Meet 100-year-old Inez Turner. She gives the secret to a long and happy life
They say a lady never reveals her age, but Inez Turner has no problem sharing that she is 100 years old and fabulous, wearing red lipstick and purple polished nails.
“Somebody said, ‘You’re too old to wear something like this,’ and I said, ‘No, I’m not!'” Turner said.
Turner was born on Feb. 22, 1925, and grew up on St. Albans Place in South Philadelphia. At the time, her family was one of the first Black homeowners in the neighborhood.
“We knew that they were prejudiced. People didn’t want us in the block,” she said.
She recalls an unforgettable moment in elementary school when a White classmate cut off her hair.
“She took that pair of scissors and cut off the plaits my mother had put on my head. I’ll never forget that,” Turner said.
Since childhood, Turner has witnessed some of the most pivotal events in Black history. The same year Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier, she graduated from Cheyney Teachers College, now known as Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Two years later, she earned a master’s degree from Howard University.
CBS News Philadelphia.
As the Civil Rights Movement unfolded, she was in the classroom, teaching her students about it.
“I think Black history should not just be for February,” she said.
Turner dedicated 36 years to the School District of Philadelphia and has been an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for over 70 years. Many members of the sorority consider her a mother figure.
“I have many daughters!” she said about her fellow sorority members.
These days, retirement has been good to her. She enjoys a competitive game of bridge to keep her mind sharp or can often be found at the piano, brushing up on her skills.
“You go through life doing what you like to do. And most of all, I thank God for my blessings, my many blessings,” Turner said.
And that, she says, is the secret to a long and happy life.
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