A Legacy is Celebrated

The “Miss Lillian” American history books extol is the mother of a former living president. There’s another Miss Lillian. She’s loved by thousands for over 40 years. Her work has impacted many more thousands exponentially – when you count staffs of businesses, and members of churches, families and other institutions. She’s our Miss Lillian Turner-Bowman, founder and CE0 of the eponymous Miss Lillian Professional Services financial center in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

Instead of celebrating her deserving self, Miss Lillian and family members hosted a block party in appreciation of her clients with a block party in front of the 474 Malcolm X. Blvd. site where her business has been a landmark for 10 years of its four decades.

Among the attendees were the Hon. Annette Robinson, former New York State Representative, and Griot Voice adviser for this paper; attorney Renee Turner Gregory, the Brooklyn DA chief diversity and inclusion officer; Denise Pines, proprietor of Miles Funeral Home; Lorene Brown-Watkins, executive, and Kenny Watkins, NVP, AmeriPlan USA.

Miss Lillian offers services they feel cannot be had anywhere else. From her year-round one-stop-business center, individual and business clients receive tax preparation, mailing and clerical services, bookkeeping, financial reporting and bookkeeping. She also offers a call center, business LLCs, and corporate formation, notary, faxing, document typing, shipping and receiving, mail sorting and processing, consultations, finance workshops, internships and more.

Miss Lillian enjoys a reputation as a passionate humanitarian, tough, sharp as nails, exemplary mother, wife, friend and neighbor. Hosting the event were family members, who are her staff and friends, who have supported her effort since its inception.

Miss Lillian’s fan club extends to Ms. Watkins of Cherry Hill, N.J. “She is my best friend and travel partner,” Ms. Watkins told Our Time Press, noting that Miss Lillian is a deeply spiritual person. “We have participated in prayer partnering for nearly 30 years. The community loves her for her “personality, character, trustworthy, great initiative” and she loves her community.”
She is a wise woman, and incorporates her personal life and missions into her work and business: her belief in unity, starts with her own family. Nearly all of her family members were trained in her skill, and she embraces community members in that training, as part of her work and mission.

The incubator aspect of her business stems from an intergenerational family credo. Miss Lillian’s mother, father, husband, children, and family members all had a say in encouraging, supporting, and nursing the actualization of her entrepreneurial dream. That, in turn, spawned a family mini-dynasty. She started the business in Professional Services from a two-bedroom apartment.

On nights and weekends, her office was the dining room furnished with a desk, a computer, and a file cabinet. The client base started out primarily with family, friends, and neighbors. It quickly grew from word-of-mouth to referrals.

Then she found a commercial space in the neighborhood right on Fulton Street, enabling her to serve more of the community at large. The rest is history, a rich and vibrant history that has been committed to excellence and providing the highest quality of professionalism while striving to satisfy the needs of each individual for four decades.

And her “Neighbor” businesses appreciate the mission. If there’s a leader on the block, it’s definitely Miss Lillian. Several business owners dropped by or sent a representative, including the Bella Ciao hair salon next door and the Deli Cour Met grocer on the corner.

“Miss Lillian is for the community,” said NYPD’s Lt. Irby of the 94th precinct, who works with Homeless Services as a patrol duty supervisor. The appreciation event was “a chance for her clients and friends “to celebrate Miss Lillian’s accomplishments over the years.

“We all want to give back, and this is an opportunity to show support to our communities because she has done that for a very long time,” he said about Miss Lillian’s legacy.

Miss Lillian’s eldest granddaughter, Elizabeth, is a shining example of just one of Miss Lillian’s many life achievements. At 20, Elizabeth runs The Hair Muse natural hair care enterprise. “I started out at age 16 in her office and worked myself up, learning everything as an administrative assistant and receptionist.

My grandmother inspired me. She also inspired my father. We both learned social skills, people skills, and business skills from my grandmother.”
Business is Miss Lillian’s forte, but family is definitely first. Of note, the location of Miss Lillian’s Professional Services is in the vicinity of the cluster of birthplaces of other historic entrepreneurial families who started businesses in Bed-Stuy: Earl Graves (Black Enterprise), the Bowman Real Estate empire, the Brooklyn office of the former Black Pearl car services company and the New York Amsterdam News former Brooklyn office. The Miles Funeral Home on Decatur still thrives.

There’s a lot to be said about Miss Lillian, her Professional Services business, and their respective places in Bedford-Stuyvesant’s business history.
And her current clients are keeping that legacy alive by counting on the company’s services every day.
For more information, visit: www.lilliansprofessionalservices.com or lilprosvc@gmail.com. Or call 718.953.6455.
Story and photos by
Bernice Elizabeth Green