Valyn Lyric Turner

(she/her/hers) is an actor, spoken word artist, songwriter, and activist hailing from Sugar Hill, Georgia, the original lands of the Cherokee and Creek native nations. Valyn is a sophomore at Boston University where she double majors in Theatre Arts and Spanish. She has always found her home on stage performing through theatre, poetry, and original music. In April of 2018 , she was able to share her passion for literature on the national stage as representative for the state of Georgia in Poetry Out Loud, a poetry recitation contest through the National Endowment for the Arts. Some of her acting credits include starring in the radio drama “Iris” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, “Digital Citizenship” on GCPS TV, and most recently, “Grounded” at Boston University. As a spoken word artist and activist, Valyn has collaborated with organizations such as the Minnesota National Association for Multicultural Education, Elevate Experiences, Gwinnett Educators for Equity and Justice, Gwinnett County Public Schools, and Park Day School in Oakland, California. She has recently been moved to use her platform and passion for poetry to champion human rights in light of issues of police violence and systemic racism on display in the United States. Her work has been featured on the podcast “The Only One in the Room” with Laura Cathcart Robbins. Valyn attends Boston University on a full-tuition scholarship through the Posse Foundation. Her mission is to inspire, empower, and serve others through her craft.