• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Clinical Trials
  • Resources
    • Top Blacks in Healthcare 2025
    • Hall Of Fame
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Obesity Resource Center
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Immunocompromised Care
    • BDO Resource Library
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Longevity / Healthy Aging / Glynn Turman: A Class Act For Over 50 Years

Glynn Turman: A Class Act For Over 50 Years

(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

You may not be too familiar with how he spells his name, but when you see Glynn Turman, you'll immediately recognize his great smile, great speaking voice and his impeccable talent as an actor. Best known for his roles as high school student Leroy "Preach" Jackson in the 1975 coming-of-age classic film Cooley High and retired Army colonel-turned math professor, Colonel Bradford Taylor, on the hit NBC sitcom A Different World, Thurman has been acting, and doing it well, for over four decades.

Turman had his first prominent acting role at the age of 13 as Travis Younger in the Broadway play of Lorraine Hansberry's classic A Raisin in the Sun, opposite Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Ivan Dixon, Louis Gossett, Jr., and others. While he did not play the role when it transferred to film in 1961, he intensified his studies at Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts. Upon graduation he apprenticed in regional and repertory companies throughout the country including Tyrone Guthrie's Repertory Theatre in which he performed in late '60s productions of Good Boys, Harper's Ferry, The Visit and The House of Atreus. He made his Los Angeles stage debut in Vinnette Carroll's Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. An impressive 1974 performance in "The Wine Sellers" earned him a Los Angeles Critics Award nomination and a Dramalogue Award. The play was also produced on Broadway as What The Wine Sellers Buy. He won his first NAACP Image Award for his work in the play Eyes of the American.

A stage director as well, he received his second NAACP Image award for his directing of Deadwood Dick at the Inner City Cultural Center. He segued these directing talents to TV where he directed several episodes of memorable sitcoms like The Parent 'Hood, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, The Wayans Bros, among others. He also directed during his five seasons of steady employment on A Different World. The show's theme song was sung by his ex-wife, legendary "Queen of Soul" artist Aretha Franklin (yes, that Aretha Franklin), to whom he was married from 1978 to 1984.

"Acting was a seed that was planted in me by my mother," explains Turman. "As a youngster that's how I became aware of it. But I was not interested in it as a career or a pursuit until a teach of mine, a Black teacher by the name of Mr. Wilson, told me to try out for the High School of Performing Arts. The reason why he did that was because I was constantly truant. Not bad, just mischievous. This acting class was the first time...

...I had gotten an 'A' in any subject. So at that time, I thought, yeah, I'm going to be an actor.

And the rest is history. But Turman didn't stop there, he needed to be behind the camera as well as in front of it.

"During the 60's in the so-called Blaxploitation era, it was always a struggle to have Black cameramen, Black producers and Black directors. But those young actors and filmmakers who were and are taking the reigns in their own hands give me hope to where longevity comes from."

"I am a child of the 40s," says Turman. "And my generation had three key figured that were used to overcome obstacles that were meant to be barriers. Those figures were Joe Lewis, Jackie Robinson, and Jesse Owens."

"In the motion pictures, probably Cooley High as Preach. On stage, it would be my role in My Children, My Africa".

By Derrick Lane | Published January 31, 2021

The Latest In Healthy Aging

how to prevent falls

A Geriatrician Explains: How to Prevent Falls

Worried about the dangers of falls in older adults? For too many people—especially those with memory loss—falls aren’t just accidents. They’re the number one cause of hospitalization, loss of independence, and even preventable deaths. Why It Matters In this video, read more about A Geriatrician Explains: How to Prevent Falls
foods

10 Foods Women Over 50 Should Always Have in the Kitchen

While your eating habits might change over time, nutritionists often suggest taking a hard look at your diet when you get into your 40s, 50s, and above. Knowing the right foods to keep around can make the difference between increasing read more about 10 Foods Women Over 50 Should Always Have in the Kitchen
medication errors

A Geriatrician Explains: How to Avoid Common Medication Errors

Worried about the dangers of medication errors in our communities? For too many older adults and their caregivers, confusion over prescriptions doesn’t just cause stress—it leads to hospitalizations, dangerous side effects, and even preventable deaths. Why It Matters In this read more about A Geriatrician Explains: How to Avoid Common Medication Errors
posture

This Simple Posture Fix Works Better Than a Facelift

From slouched screens to aging gracefully, our posture is emerging not just as a matter of vanity but as a true linchpin of longevity, mental clarity, and daily well-being. How we carry ourselves affects far more than how others see read more about This Simple Posture Fix Works Better Than a Facelift
wellness

Doctors Reveal the Real Secret to Lasting Wellness

When it comes to wellness, we’re bombarded with quick fixes, viral hacks, and flashy trends that promise instant results. From juice cleanses to 30-day challenges, it can feel like everyone is chasing the next big thing. But ask doctors what read more about Doctors Reveal the Real Secret to Lasting Wellness
chronic illness

A Geriatrician Explains: How to Support Aging Adults with Chronic Illness

Worried about the toll diabetes, stress, and chronic illness are taking on Black communities? For too many, it’s not just about living fewer years—it’s about living with less freedom, more disability, and the loss of wisdom we should be passing read more about A Geriatrician Explains: How to Support Aging Adults with Chronic Illness

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Icon

A Black Women's Guide To Beating Breast Cancer

1 file(s) 967 KB
Download

Trending Articles

How I Found Hope After a Devastating Breast Cancer Diagnosis

How I Found Hope After a Devastating Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Sit Fit: 5 Leg & Thigh Exercises You Can Do Sitting Down

chair exercises

How I Advocated For Myself to Join a Breast Cancer Clinical Trial

How I Advocated For Myself to Join a Breast Cancer Clinical Trial

This Study Reveals Why More People Aren’t Doing Clinical Trials

This Study Reveals Why More People Aren't Doing Clinical Trials

7 Best Kept Secrets For Weight Loss

weight loss
Find a Culturally Sensitive Doctor

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Resource Centers

  • Top Blacks in Healthcare
  • Clinical Trials
  • Wellness on the Yard
  • Cancer
  • Immunocompromised Care
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Careers
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising & Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2025, Black Doctor, Inc. All rights reserved.