Loretta Turner on Her Journey from Code Switching to Community

Yuliana Kim-Grant's Phoenix Tales

Today Yuliana welcomes nonprofit executive and leadership development coach, Loretta Turner, to the Phoenix Tales podcast to chat about the importance of community, code switching, and embracing authenticity. As a young black girl growing up on the East Coast, Turner felt like she almost had to live a double life: one that felt true and family-centric and another filled with fear, caution, and stereotypes. It wasn’t until she was much older that she actually reconciled with her identity and truly became Loretta.

Both Yuliana and Loretta go on to acknowledge that this was no small feat, noting that it’s challenging to embrace yourself when your immediate environment encourages you not to. In fact, that’s part of the reason that Turner ditched New Jersey for sunnier sights in San Diego. There she’s not only enjoyed a great deal of personal and professional growth, but she’s also met the most diverse friend group she’s had in her life. She currently works to make San Diego’s outdoor spaces, trails, and beaches more accessible to communities of color, and she doesn’t plan on slowing down. In the wake of 2020 and the tragedy that was COVID-19, Turner has come face to face with the importance of community, which you will hear all about in today’s inspiring episode.

Episode Highlights:

• Turner’s move to San Diego
• Turner’s academic epiphany
• Code switching
• Becoming Loretta
• Diversity in San Diego
• The importance of community

Quotes:

“I just wanted to get it out into the world and see what else was out there and see if I could challenge myself in an environment, especially one that I haven't grown up in or wasn't used to.”

“I'm not a first generation student, but I am the first of my siblings to go to school. As I had mentioned, in high school, academics wasn't something I cared for. I was an athlete.”

“I know that my parents loved and adored me, but I also sensed that they were disappointed in me…So this idea that I had gotten into school, and all of a sudden, I was good at it. I was getting good grades, and I had an interest. That's where that sense of worthiness… I felt like I had given up on myself.”

“There was a lot of code switching that was happening, you know, we'd go to a family event over the weekend. And when Monday rolled around, I went back to school, like I didn't talk like that I didn't act like that.”

“Code Switching happens when I'm now in a new environment, I go back to school, and now I'm really hesitant on how I speak. I'm really hesitant about what I share about myself, I'm really hesitant about how I carry myself…if I act the way that I've acted with my family around a predominantly white group, stereotypes might come up.”

“We know that San Diego looks very white. And we know that a lot of the most beautiful places in this county are accessed by more privileged people that are predominantly white. So a lot of the work that I do in the county now is making those spaces, especially outdoor spaces, like beaches and trails, more accessible to communities of color.”

“I love being an imaginative kid alone in my room, but what also equally helped me feel lit up was being in community, celebrations, parties, and bringing people together.”

Links:

Phoenix Tales Homepage

Phoenix Tales on Instagram

Phoenix Tales on Spotify

Phoenix Tales on Facebook

Loretta Turner Homepage

Loretta Turner on Instagram

Loretta Turner on LinkedIn

Coming up on 10/6, Yuliana welcomes nonprofit executive and leadership development coach, Loretta Turner, to @phoenixtalespodcast to chat about the importance of community, code switching, and embracing authenticity. As a young black girl growing up on the East Coast, Turner felt like she almost had to live a double life: one that felt true and family-centric and another filled with fear, caution, and stereotypes. It wasn’t until she was much older that she actually reconciled with her identity and truly became Loretta.✨ #MyPhoenixTalesMoment

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Today on #PhoenixTales, I speak with @loretta.leads. She speaks openly about how it’s challenging to embrace yourself when your immediate environment encourages you not to. In fact, that’s part of the reason that Turner ditched New Jersey for sunnier sights in San Diego. There she’s not only enjoyed a great deal of personal and professional growth, but she’s also met the most diverse friend group she’s had in her life. She currently works to make San Diego’s outdoor spaces, trails, and beaches more accessible to communities of color, and she doesn’t plan on slowing down. Loretta has come face to face with the importance of community, which you will hear all about in today’s inspiring episode.

“There was a lot of code switching that was happening, you know, we'd go to a family event over the weekend. And when Monday rolled around, I went back to school, like I didn't talk like that I didn't act like that.”

✨ #MyPhoenixTalesMoment

Listen to the entire podcast, “Loretta Turner on Her Journey from Code Switching to Community” for free on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast. Save this post and share it with someone who you might think would benefit! 💜

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