Full Text of the Excerpt

AREN SINDELAR:

The League of Women Voters, are you in that?

JOSEPHINE TURNER:

Well, I'm not as active in that as I would like to be, but I am a member.

KAREN SINDELAR:

That's a fully biracial group, isn't it? Black and white women?

JOSEPHINE TURNER:

Yes, black and white.

KAREN SINDELAR:

In this community do both black and white women have leadership roles in the League of Women Voters?

JOSEPHINE TURNER:

Yes. Yes, when I was active they do. I haven't been to a meeting there… That's what I said: working at night has kept me from a lot of the meetings, you know. My dues—in fact it's about time for me to pay my dues. [laughter] So in a lot of those things my dues are paid up, but I haven't been able to participate as I desire.

KAREN SINDELAR:

Do you feel in any that you have been hurt any way by being a woman? I mean, in terms of your political activity or community activity? Do you feel like being a woman, or being a black person, has hurt you in any way?

JOSEPHINE TURNER:

Well, I feel like that maybe I could have aggressed more if I had been a man or maybe white, in some respects. Then again, you know I look at it this way: I look at the human side of it. I feel like I'm able to do the job as well as anybody else; in fact, I know I can given the chance. But I know there's a lot of them up there don't want me up there, black and white, because a lot of people would be exposed that they don't want exposed. But I'm going to still try.

KAREN SINDELAR:

You're actually president of this East End Community Organization.

JOSEPHINE TURNER:

Right.

KAREN SINDELAR:

Have there been other women presidents before you?

JOSEPHINE TURNER:

No, I'm the first woman president.

KAREN SINDELAR:

Was that made an issue?

JOSEPHINE TURNER:

No.