Scott Turner is Donald Trump’s selection for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Trump’s only Black cabinet member to date. Trump followed the age-old tradition of many previous presidents, putting a Black or Hispanic person in charge of HUD and rarely in the “more important” positions. Trump’s previous HUD Secretary was Ben Carson, who had no housing-related qualifications. Since 1993, six of the nine HUD Secretaries who were not in an acting position were either Black or Brown.
I knew nothing about Scott Turner and was pleasantly surprised to find him not nearly as unqualified as most of Trump’s other cabinet picks. Turner is best known as a former NFL player but served as the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council executive director in Trump’s first administration. Turner spent several off-seasons working as an intern for Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif, and worked full-time for the congressman after retiring from the NFL. Turner graduated from the University of Illinois and served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017.
Turner is the Founder & CEO of his family’s foundation, Community Engagement & Opportunity Council (CEOC), working to revitalize communities across America through Sports, Mentorship, and Economic Opportunity. He’s on the Board of the American Cornerstone Institute and an Associate Pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church.
There isn’t much more to say at this point. He didn’t even have his own Wikipedia page though I imagine one is forthcoming. I’m not judging him yet; that day is likely coming. Here’s wishing he turns out to be a sincere, well-meaning person, looking to serve the people and not one man.
This article originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of William Spivey's work on Medium.