Greater Middle Baptist Church members joined in the celebration to honor longtime church member and former Tennessee State Representative Johnnie R. Turner, Friday, April 10, 2026.

Turner, former director of the Memphis branch of the NAACP, was among four honorees highlighted during the 2026 Pillars of Progress Gala — a 30-year celebration of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis.

Activitst Jocelyn Wurzburg, The Tri-State Defender, and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art were also honored during the event.