About Morrie Turner
Morrie Turner’s Wee Pals was the first nationally-syndicated racially-integrated comic strip. Created in 1965, initially, few newspapers were interested in a racially-integrated cartoon. After the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., there was a surge of interest in racial integration and as a result, 100 newspapers published Wee Pals.
Through Wee Pals, Turner portrays a world without prejudice. It is a world where people's differences—racial, religion, gender, as well as physical and mental abilities—are cherished and not scorned.
Mr. Turner served as a forum member of the White House Conference on Children in 1970.
A native of the Bay Area, Mr. Turner has inspired and mentored many local artists over the years--including curator Kheven LaGrone. The City of Oakland named December 6, 2011 "The Morrie Turner Day." His newest book, titled "Black Sports Heroes: Past and Present" challenges youth with its collection of facts, quizzes and games.