KHARY KIMANI TURNER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
COLEMAN A. YOUNG FOUNDATION
A healthy list of experiences, from the arts to education, prepared Khary Kimani Turner for his post as Executive Director of the Coleman A. Young Foundation (CAYF), the perfect organization for Turner to exercise his passion for academic and social development in youth.
A native of Detroit, Turner earned his Bachelors in Communications from Xavier University, and a Masters in Adult Education. He’s gained professional experience in college recruiting, teaching and counseling, public relations, executive leadership and fundraising. An advocate for artists, journalistic integrity, healthy relationships and robust communities, he speaks often on the topics, using a combination of oratory and spoken word performance. Through the historic NAACP, he led the organization of some of the country’s first Hip-Hop Summits. The gatherings promoted voter education, and fostered dialogue between artists and legislators. The events inspired the NAACP to conduct them nationally, and motivated hip-hop pioneer Russell Simmons to organize similar discussions through his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. This work, which spans two decades, has earned Turner a reputation as a “big brother” to Detroit’s creative community.
Turner is a noted journalist, author, musician and social critic who has written for more than 20 national publications, and taught and lectured at colleges and universities. He’s also an award-winning hip-hop and spoken word artist, with or without suit and tie.
