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Latoya Turner

Latoya Turner Profile Photo

Founder of Brown Hands Literacy

Latoya Turner is a mother, Central State University alumna, children’s book author, filmmaker, and former early-childhood teacher dedicated to celebrating literacy, education, college-and-career readiness, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She spent 13 years in the classroom and has coached over 90 Black and Brown men into the field of education.

She is the owner of Brown Hands LLC, founder and executive director of Brown Hands Literacy, and co-founder of the HBCU Literacy Hub. Latoya authored the Brown Hands book series and created the animated film Brown Hands, Black Schools: HBCUs. She was also inducted into the Central State University Alumni Achievement Hall of Fame for her leadership and impact.

Through books, films, literacy initiatives, and community events, Latoya inspires children to dream big, love reading, and see themselves as future college graduates.

Hustle, Heart & HBCU Love with Latoya Turner
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March 2, 2026

Hustle, Heart & HBCU Love with Latoya Turner

This conversation is a testament to how classroom teaching can birth movements that extend far beyond what we could ever imagine.In this episode, Dr. Asia sits down with Latoya Turner, M.A., a Detroit-born educator, author, and filmmaker who spent 13 years in the classroom before pivoting to create Brown Hands Literacy, a nonprofit dedicated to educating children about HBCUs through books, films, and community events.LaToya shares her journey from a high school cadet teaching program to teaching across Detroit, Maryland, and Cincinnati, where she discovered her passion for literacy and began writing children's books during lunch breaks and planning periods. She opens up about the pull of family that moved her from city to city, the birth of her son August (now a published author himself), and how she coached 90 Black men ages 18-24 through the Leading Men Fellowship program, planting seeds of literacy that will impact generations.From turning her book "Brown Hands, Black Schools…