Tara Woods Turner was an author and etiquette consultant living in New York City with her family. Born and raised in North Carolina, Ms. Turner received her BA in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations. She served as treasurer for the NC Black Student Government Association, spearheading campus fundraising initiatives and participated in election canvassing projects. Tara went on to work for many years in the management and research sectors before a DNA test she received as a Christmas gift compelled her to learn more about her family roots. That journey led her to her great-great grandfather, Cornelius Wood, and the brutal lynching of his loving wife, Laura Greer Wood in 1930. Determined to discover as much as possible about the lynching, Ms. Turner spent months doing research and digging through archives.

Sadly, Tara died unexpectedly in 2022. She remains a seminal figure in the founding of The Legacy Coalition, and her memory continues to inspire the group’s work.