Daisy Turner was born June 21st 1883 on Turner Hill in Grafton, VT and lived for more than a century, dying in February, 1988. Her parents had been slaves before the Civil War and she was raised on stories of bondage, of escape, and of war and became a storyteller in her own right. From the very first she was proud of her heritage, and nourished a deep love of family. A strong sense of self, she was feisty and spirited always standing up for her rights as a matter of course. At eight she defied the teacher who had asked her to carry a black doll on the last day of school and say a poem about Africa. Instead Daisy discarded the teacher's recitation, and recited a poem that expressed exactly how she felt, a performance that won her first prize. At 16 she went down to the Boston Market, to confront a man who had cheated her father and returned with the money owed him, and in 1927 she brought suite for breach of promise in the East Cambridge, Massachusetts Court House, a black woman against a white man, and won a $3750 settlement!

Audio Links - mp3 audio links

Daisy and the Doll (listen online | download audio)
Daisy celebrates her own identity. This is the story on which the Vermont Folklife Center children's book, Daisy and the Doll is based.

Alec's Primer (listen online | download audio)
Daisy recounts the family story of how her father--who was born a slave--put himself at great risk by learning to read. This is the story on which the Vermont Folklife Center children's book, Alec's Primer is based.

The Boston Market (listen online | download audio)
Daisy travels to Boston to redress a wrong against her father. From the Vermont Folklife Center's Peabody Award winning audio documentary, Journey's End: The Memories and Traditions of Daisy Turner.

Breach of Promise (listen online | download audio)
Daisy brings suit for breach of promise in 1927. From the Vermont Folklife Center's Peabody Award winning audio documentary, Journey's End: The Memories and Traditions of Daisy Turner.