Street Renaming Ceremony to Honor Civil Rights Icon

Memphis, Tenn. (WSMV) – A portion of West Levi Road in Shelby County has been officially renamed the “Rep. Johnnie Turner Highway” in a public ceremony Monday afternoon.

The street remaining is part of Rep. Turner’s 85th birthday celebration.

Turner, a retired educator and longtime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington, D.C. She was also present at Mason Temple in Memphis when Dr. King gave his final speech.

She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and has been recognized as one of Memphis’ “Freedom Sisters” at the National Civil Rights Museum.

“Rep. Johnnie Turner was the conscience of the legislature,” said Senate Minority Leader Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis. “She reminded us that policy is personal, and that justice isn’t something you debate—it’s something you deliver. This highway is a testament to a woman who never stopped fighting for what was right.”

The Tennessee Department of Transportation has installed signage along the newly designated segment of West Levi Road, which runs from South Third Street to Weaver Road.