Rev. ‘Tee’ Turner, who spearheaded Richmond’s Slave Trail and worked towards racial reconciliation, died this week

Reverend Sylvester “Tee” Turner, a prominent pastor who helped build many of the institutions acknowledging Richmond’s slave-trading past, died unexpectedly on Sunday at age 74.

Turner grew up in Gilpin Court, and after a stint with the Air Force in California, returned to Richmond with the goal of bringing racial reconciliation to his hometown. 

Friends and colleagues remembered a man who kept an unwavering commitment to discovering and telling the truth about the institution of slavery, but ensuring that work crossed racial lines.

His institutional memory served as a bridge between the Civil Rights struggle and modern times.

“We walked into the downtown Hilton (formerly Miller & Rhoades) for an event, and he said, ‘Hold up, I remember when I wasn’t allowed to be in this building,’ because of segregation,” said Allan-Charles Chipman, who worked with Turner at Initiatives of Change USA.

Turner played a major role in the construction of Richmond’s Slave Trail and led thousands of people on tours of the trail, telling them about the city’s past while working to move it forward. He was a co-founder of the National Slavery Museum Foundation, which is now the Shockoe Legacy Foundation.

“Rev. Turner was instrumental in the success and growth of the organization from its very beginning,” wrote Del. Delores McQuinn, one of his closest partners. “His unwavering commitment to truth-telling, historical justice, healing and reconciliation would empower and shape the community in understanding the mission and vision of the Foundation in profound ways.”

In 1993, Turner spoke at a history walk in Richmond that brought hundreds of people from around the world to Richmond for “An Honest Conversation on Race, Reconciliation and Responsibility.”

Rev. Ben Campbell of Richmond Hill said Turner had the unique ability to bring the races together in discussion.

“He would call it ‘The Work,’” Campbell said. “He had a quiet fidelity that honored both white people and Black people in that work.

“He was interested in helping communities be effective, and we really felt that right here in Richmond. You’ll find thousands of people who knew him and worked with him. He was quiet, a truth-teller, and insistent on what was important.”

Turner played a prominent role in many other Richmond initiatives, including the reception of the The Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue on East Main Street in Shockoe Bottom.

On Thursday morning, Richmond Mayor Danny Avula paid tribute to Turner’s work.

“Tee was such a huge part of telling and elevating Richmond's stories-stories of justice, healing, and reconciliation,” Avula said. “While we can't replace the impact he had on our region, we can learn from his legacy as a truth-teller who continually drove us forward through his stories.”

Chipman learned under Turner, but appreciated that Turner was never interested in status or power, just continuing the work.

“Reverend Tee was the kind of person that wouldn’t just pass you the baton, he would pass you the baton and teach you how to run, and cheer you on, and also tell you to pick the pace up,” Chipman said.

Turner was described as a person who was solidly committed to telling the truths of the institutions of slavery, while encouraging work that brought about racial reconciliation.

“That’s the true definition of the word pastor,” Chipman said. “It’s not just the information you give in the sermon, but it’s how you walk people through life.”

LaDora Carter, who worked with Turner at Initiatives of Change, described him as “a library of knowledge and wisdom.”

“I’m especially left with a memory of his guidance on facilitating difficult conversations,” she wrote. “While facilitating a public walk of the Trail of Enslaved Africans, I asked him, ‘Hey, Rev. Tee, you see the sunset?’ and he’d respond in true Reverend fashion, ‘Yes, but trust the process. The sun will rise again.’  

“The embers of his light will continue to burn bright within us. I’m incredibly honored to have served alongside him.”

Turner’s death this week came as a shock to many.

Chipman was reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sharing in his final speech that “I may not get there with you,” but that the Civil Rights movement would ultimately reach its goals.

“We just didn’t think the journey would start this soon without him,” Chipman said.

Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org. This article has been updated to reflect that Chipman and Turner worked together at Chipman Initiatives of Change USA.