John Turnipseed

The story of John’s life and his families struggles have been written over generations. Beginning with his father and extending to his grandson, four generations of Turnipseeds have been: shot, in prison, high school drop-outs, violent, deadbeat dads, un-fathered. Currently, 30 members of his immediate family are in prison, 10 of those for first-degree murder and they formed The Rolling 30 Blood Street gang. John’s work with Urban Ventures and the City of Minneapolis has made him a role model for the community.

John spent 10 years in prison, over three terms, then came into The Fathering Center at Urban Ventures as our first client. He now has built a program that reaches 600 men and 200 women a year. His work has attracted the Amicus organization to select him their first Everyday Hero featured in a TPT public television series.

John Turnipseed is currently the Director of the Urban Ventures Center for Fathering in Minneapolis. He is a product of violence on the streets and in prison, and his goal now is to instill a conscience back into society and our culture.

Directed by John Turnipseed, the Center for Fathering offers parenting and male responsibility classes. Through the program, men learn about male responsibility and receive new role models and accountability. Men are taught parental direction and encouragement to become personally and financially responsible for their children and family. An increase in self-esteem, child-support payments, personal income, sobriety, citizenship, as well as a more determined commitment to higher education, has been documented in evaluation measurements. The Center for Fathering assists men in identifying job skills and creating a resume and offers connections to numerous resources for employment.