2023 Unstoppable Voters Fellow Robin D Turner is helping marginalized communities in Cleveland, Ohio, exercise their voting power

Robin Turner
Robin supporting her Cleveland VOTES community

Robin Turner (she/her) is an educator, organizer, and humanitarian. In her leadership roles, she exhibits her commitment to racial equity, engaging directly impacted individuals and demonstrating cultural proficiency. Robin’s strategic planning work has a focus on social equity and social justice movements. Robin works locally, statewide, and nationally to empower and mobilize leaders to create the change they want.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Education. She has achieved certificates in Chemical Dependency Counseling, and Lead Contracting and is a Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood Ambassador. She is an experienced civic affiliate, currently President of the American Civil Liberties Union Smart Justice Advisory Board.

Robin is passionate about building personal and professional connections with like-minded individuals while leveraging networks. It is exhibited in her work in Cuyahoga County. Robin lives in an intergenerational urban Cleveland home with her mother, children, grandchildren, and their dogs – Pepper and Rose.

About Cleveland VOTES

Cleveland VOTES is a nonpartisan, democracy-building, and mobilization entity that aims to strengthen civic muscle and power to ensure we have a more informed, participatory, and cohesive community.

The initiative invests in entities working to expand voter registration, accessibility, and participation by integrating the practice of equitable civic engagement through the success and measurable outreach efforts of its partners, collaborators, and grantees.

Co-Founders Erika Anthony and Crystal Bryant created Cleveland VOTES to fill the voter registration void for individuals incarcerated and re-entering society. Partnerships and collaborations initiated by Cleveland VOTES include the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates, and national partner Nonprofit Vote.

Pull Up to the Polls

Through Unstoppable Voters, Robin is working to foster a sense of community, empowerment, and inclusivity tied to civic engagement across Cleveland. She’s also particularly focused on equipping every individual that is or has been impacted by the carceral system with knowledge on their rights around voting and voting laws.

Banding together with dozens of community partners, including All Voting is Local, the NAACP, and Black Voters Matter, Robin and the Cleveland VOTES team are hosting a big Pull Up to the Polls celebration in honor of Vote Early Day (November 4) — right outside the Board of Elections office in Cleveland.

Utilizing the elements of celebration, joy, and fun and tying them to voting is making this Pull Up to the Polls action like no other — it’s a civic engagement party and everyone is invited! With free food, a family-friendly, environment (the first 30 kids will receive free “future voter” goodie bags!), and tons of helpful resources, participants will have the chance to see just how empowering, inclusive, and exciting their vote is.

Pull Up to the Polls is taking place Saturday, November 4th from 12-4 pm. Learn more and get your free party ticket here!

Robin on her work with Cleveland VOTES and on being an Unstoppable Voters Fellow

Cleveland VOTES does a lot of the work in marginalized, impoverished, poor communities where black and brown people are affected the most. When we do civics and democracy work, we primarily focus on education. Granting the community access to information that is not always accessible easily is a priority for us. We want to remind all constituents of their voting power.

“Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.” This is an opportunity for me to be able to lead others, in the efforts of continuing to build democracy in a very creative and sassy way!!!!! You never need permission to do good — do good anyways.

– Robin D Turner, Civic Engagement Strategist, Cleveland Votes