WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT
2025
HEROISM
for a woman whose heroic spirit was tested and
shown as a model to all in Shelby County and beyond:
Gwendolyn Turner
Gwendolyn Turner was a talented singer who endured terror, injuries, degradation and pain for 22 years at the hands of her partner, a well-known pastor. She was convinced she could not tell anyone about his behavior and be believed because of his fame and position. They travelled, preaching and singing, and he followed episodes of extreme abuse with lavish gifts and trips.
But finally, at age 44, Gwen spoke out, left him and started over – and she hasn’t stopped speaking since. Gwen is determined to help other women, heroically telling her complete story of rape, sexual abuse, beatings, abortion and permanent injury.
Gwen grew up in South Memphis and met her future partner at age 17. He was 9 years older. They were friends, he was like a big brother and they began dating when she was in college.
She fell in love. She thought his fixation on her – phoning five times a day and otherwise basically stalking her – just meant she was very special to him. Her parents had a 60-year, respectful marriage. Gwen knew none of the red flags that signal danger in a relationship.
They lived together and she began to help raise his three children from a prior marriage. He was rich. She shopped in the best stores – but eventually she realized he bought clothes that he wanted her to wear. She was only allowed to do what he permitted her to do.
Verbal abuse started, sudden anger, constant badgering about where she was and what was she doing – even in the bathroom! He always apologized and she still thought he was her God-send.
His first physical assault came after six years. He accused her of being with someone else after a church concert. He kicked, slapped, tore off her clothes. And he raped her.
For two weeks he apologized and wept and blamed it on being drunk or high and stressed with his work as a preacher. Things settled again but this began a chaotic pattern as his drinking and drug use became more frequent. He would fly into a rage. He forced sexually perverse behavior and even forced her to have an abortion. He said that a pregnancy would not be good for their public testimony.
Gwen blamed herself, that she wasn’t doing enough. She loved him as a teenager, loved him before he hurt her and kept thinking she could please him enough to make the abuse stop. She left him 10 times but always went back.
They were together for 22 years. No one knew. His nickname was “Gentle Giant.”
But finally he slapped her in his church study, ordering her not to go visit her hospitalized mother. She told him: “If you’ll slap me in the Lord’s house, you’ll kill me in your house.”
She packed, told him she was leaving for good, listened to his torrent of ugly words — and drove away leaving behind clothes, diamonds, minks, all of it. She was 44.
She has gone from victim to survivor to coach.
Gwen has become a leading counselor and advocate for victims/survivors of intimate partner violence. She has worked for the Memphis Shelby County Family Safety Center, the county Crime Victims and Rape Crisis Center, the city’s housing department DV unit and even the Shelby County District Attorney’s office.
She is shelter coordinator now for the YWCA of Greater Memphis which operates the city’s primary emergency shelter dedicated to victims of domestic violence. She juggles funding shortfalls, lack of space and shortage of qualified personnel all while dealing with traumatized women and children who often arrive with only the clothes on their backs.
Gwen readily speaks to civic organizations, church groups, students, law enforcement, news media and others to raise understanding of the warning signs of intimate partner violence. She urges victims to seek help and learn from her own story of survival. People all across the Memphis metro area have heard Gwen on TV or in other settings.
Gwen Turner is a brave, devoted, hardworking, irrepressible advocate for women, heroically sharing her own tragic, victorious testimony to inspire other survivors of intimate violence toward happy, healthy futures.
Gwendolyn Turner is our 2025 Woman of Achievement for Heroism.