The Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization will honor longtime community advocate and nurse Vanetta Molson-Turner with its 77th Anniversary Ann Foy Baker Award during the organization’s annual scholarship luncheon April 11.
The event, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the DoubleTree Suites Southcenter, will recognize Molson-Turner’s decades of service to the community and her lifelong commitment to advancing health equity and social justice.
The Ann Foy Baker Award is presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to community service and leadership.
For Molson-Turner, that commitment began long before she entered the nursing profession.
Raised in Seattle’s Central District and the Holly Park housing community, Molson-Turner grew up in a neighborhood shaped by strong community ties but also affected by the social and economic inequities that fueled the Civil Rights Movement.
As a young woman observing the challenges faced by neighbors and families in her community, Molson-Turner began developing a deep sense of responsibility to help others. That sense of purpose would guide both her activism and her professional career.
While attending Highline Community College, Molson-Turner became active in the school’s Black Student Union, where she emerged as a leader advocating for social change and equity.
Her involvement in activism deepened when members of the Seattle and Washington State Black Panther Party visited the campus for a student event. Inspired by the organization’s commitment to community service and empowerment, Molson-Turner joined the Seattle chapter and quickly became involved in its community survival programs.
The Black Panther Party’s community initiatives sought to address critical gaps in services for underserved communities. Molson-Turner played a role in expanding several of these efforts, including children’s free breakfast programs that ensured young students began the school day with a meal.
She also contributed to efforts that helped establish free medical services in Seattle, programs that eventually led to the permanent creation of the Carolyn Downs Medical Clinic. In addition, she helped ensure that community members had access to sickle cell anemia testing, a critical health service for African American communities at the time.
Molson-Turner’s activism eventually took her beyond Seattle.
When the Black Panther Party’s Central Headquarters called on chapters across the country to relocate to Oakland, California, to strengthen the organization’s national operations, Molson-Turner moved there as part of the Seattle chapter delegation.
In Oakland she became involved in historic political campaigns, working on Bobby Seale’s campaign for mayor and Elaine Brown’s campaign for city council. She also taught at the Black Panthers School, known as the Oakland Community Learning Center, which emphasized education, cultural awareness and community empowerment.
After her time in Oakland, Molson-Turner returned to Seattle and began the next chapter of her life in health care.
She enrolled in Highline Community College’s nursing program and graduated in 1980, launching a 35-year career in nursing. Her work in health care reflected the same values that guided her activism: serving communities, advocating for equitable care and addressing systemic barriers to health and wellness.
“I’m certain I chose health care because I was not done serving the people,” Molson-Turner has said of her decision to enter nursing.
Throughout her career, she remained deeply involved in professional and civic organizations.
Molson-Turner served as a leader and officer in the Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization, an organization dedicated to supporting and advancing Black nurses and promoting health equity. She has also worked with Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action, continuing her advocacy for social justice and community well-being.
Her contributions to Seattle’s history have also been documented in the film Keepers of the Dream: Seattle Women Black Panthers, which highlights the often-overlooked roles women played in the Black Panther Party’s community work in the Pacific Northwest.
The recognition of Molson-Turner with the Ann Foy Baker Award places her among a group of notable community leaders honored by the organization in recent years. Previous recipients include Nate Miles in 2025, Chris B. Bennett of the Seattle Medium News Group in 2024 and Jamilia Sherls in 2023.
The Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization’s annual scholarship luncheon not only honors community leaders but also supports the next generation of nurses through scholarships and mentorship.
The public is invited to attend the event. Admission is free, although scholarship donations are welcomed. Registration is required through the organization’s website at www.marymahoney.org.
