Wheaton, Ill. — At the June 16 City Council meeting, Mayor Phil Suess presented June 16 as Glennette Tilley Turner Day in a surprise proclamation. Dr. Glennette Turner, a former teacher and long-time Wheaton resident, also gave a Juneteenth presentation at the council meeting, the City of Wheaton said in a Facebook post on June 19.
Turner has been a Wheaton resident since 1968. She was a former Community Unit School District 200 teacher. Her life has been dedicated to education, historical research, authorship and community activism, the City of Wheaton said. June 16 as Glennette Tilley Turner Day commemorates hyer research on the Underground Railroad in Illinois. Turner has also made significant contributions to understanding and preserving African American History.
“Dr. Turner’s unwavering commitment to uncovering and sharing the stories of African American resilience and resistance has left an indelible mark on Wheaton and serves as a beacon of inspiration for future generations,” Suess read from the proclamation.
The proclamation said that June 16 was proclaimed as Glennette Tilley Turner Day “to promote and encourage all residents to honor and celebrate Dr. Turner’s remarkable contributions to our community and the preservation of our shared history.”
At the City Council meeting on Monday, Turner was invited to give a presentation on Juneteenth, a holiday on June 19 celebrating the emancipation of slaves in America. She has presented a Juneteenth speech to the City Council in two other meetings. The proclamation followed her presentation, which included updated research from Turner on Juneteenth, contributions of Wheaton African Americans in the early 1900s and the passing of Wheaton’s first Fair Housing ordinance in Illinois. Her presentation is available to view in the video from Monday’s City Council meeting.
