The Soultown! Volume IV: Issue 1 JANUARY 2020 | Page 18

Cover Story
Kendra is spending time with Ms. Dorothy J. Turner.
Today, Kendra is the Lead Clinical Therapist
II for the San Bernardino County Department of
Behavioral Health Access Unit. Syreeta current-
ly resides in Southern California and works as a
Social Worker for Child Protective Service. “Due
to my current position -- in California -- it created
a conflict of interest for me to service the same
clients as my sister. Los Angeles County became
our landing spot, Kendra says, “Our realtor found
the location on a Wednesday and by Friday of the
same week we closed the deal on our building.
Things happened so effortlessly and I knew it had
to be aligned with God’s plan. Since being in this
location, we have received an abundance of cli-
ents. We are beyond thankful!”
The Martin Luther King Center has a vibrant
history of women in leadership. Social Action Inc.
spearheads the annual banquet. Latanya Graves,
Event Director for the Social Action Inc. says, “The
decision for the twins to be chosen as the Keynote
Speakers was a no-brainer. It is the beginning
of the decade. The double digits, the 20-20 just
makes sense.
“I always wanted to be selected as the speak-
er for the banquet since the age of seven years
old,” says Syreeta. Kendra shares, “Since the age
of seven, we have served as volunteers. This is
truly an honor. I never expected to have been cho-
sen to be a Keynote Speaker.”
“I could go on for days talking about the women
of the MLK Center,” Kendra reflects, “they played
a major role in molding me into the woman I am
today. The professionalism of Ms. Martha Nash
was impeccable. I watched my mom transform
into this amazing community activist. Ms. Ada
18
Theroith family gathering celebrating grandma’s 80th birthday.
Tredwell was my first typewriter teacher at Payne
Church. She didn’t take any mess and she wanted
to prepare us to work in an office at an early age.
Ms. Dorothy J. Turner is my heart. She played the
role of a grandmother to me. She would babysit
us when my mother went out of town. She would
pick me up every Sunday to
go to church. I was an aco-
lyte for her at Payne A.M.E.
Church from the ages of 12-
23. Ms. Turner instilled in
me the importance of com-
mitment, class, etiquette,
faith and how to pray. She
was faithful in making me
read my daily bread. She
LaTanya Graves
was our rock.
Event Director
“Ms. Gloria Stigler would
help pick us up from school
when my mother couldn’t
and Latanya Graves’ love and support can nev-
er be forgotten. She taught us how to answer the
phones at the center in a professional manner.
They were in our village.”
Kendra and Syreeta return home twice a year
to spend time with family, celebrating birthdays
and holidays. Making their mother proud, while
The twins pose for a selfie.
continuing her legacy is their mission in life. They
especially enjoy spending time with their grandfa-
ther, Harry Nix Sr. “Truly, we don’t need an occa-
sion to be together. We just do it because we were
raised that way. I’m nothing without my family. All
of Waterloo is my family. We want them to know
that we love them,” says Kendra with Syreeta
standing by her side in agreement. “Having soul
to us means feeling, wisdom and intense emotion.
The soul is what makes you who you are. It’s the
spiritual part of a person.” The twins are following
their blueprints and designing one for their future
generations.
On behalf of The Soultown Magazine, we
would like to thank Kendra, Syreeta and the
entire Theroith family for having SOUL! ,
Jan. 2020 • Immortalizing Our Stories to Implore Positive Progress In Our Communities • thesoultown.com