Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator and current national surrogate for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, is set to give the keynote address to the 2019 graduating class of Clinton College. The commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 4th at 3 p.m. at Kenneth Monroe Transformation Center in Rock Hill, SC.
According to her website, Turner served as a national surrogate for Sanders during his 2016 campaign and currently serves as the president of Our Revolution, an organization inspired by Senator Sanders to “revitalize American democracy, empower progressive leaders and elevate political consciousness.” She is also a political analyst and has appeared on shows such as CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper and Comedy Central’s The President’s Show.
During her time as a state senator, Turner championed for causes such as labor, women’s reproductive health, voting rights and income inequality. Because of her efforts, she was chosen as the Democratic candidate for Ohio’s Secretary of State race in 2014.
In addition to her many accomplishments, Turner was named “Most Valuable State Senator” by The Nation Magazine in 2011. She has also been listed by The Root as one of the top 100 most influential African Americans in the U.S. in 2014. She has been recognized by Cleveland’s Inside Business Magazine as one of the Top 25 most powerful people in Northeast Ohio for 2015. Most recently, she made the Politico Playbook Powerlist “18 to Watch in 2018.”
Before Saturday’s commencement, Bishop Darin W. Moore will deliver a powerful message at the Baccalaureate Service on Friday, May 3rd at 6 p.m. at the Kenneth Monroe Transformation Center.
Bishop Moore is the presiding prelate for the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Zion Church and is one of the premier religious voices in the nation. He serves as the Chair of the National Council of Churches, USA – usually identified as the National Council of Churches (NCC). Bishop Moore began his college education at Livingstone College, graduating from Purchase College and finishing his theological studies at Yale Divinity School and United Theological Seminary.
Both the Baccalaureate Service and Commencement are open to the public and will be live streamed on the Clinton College Facebook page.