This article examines the life and thought of South African radical philosopher Richard “ Rick ” Turner (1941–1978), a crucial figure in the 1973 anti‐apartheid political conjuncture known as the “ Durban Moment. ” Though steeped in existentialist philosophy, Turner's real contribution to New Left thought in South Africa came elsewhere. Turner's receptivity to “ Black Consciousness, ” his vision of radical pedagogy, and his commitment to participatory democracy and “ workers’ control ” all made a deep imprint on Black working class mobilization and the birth of a democratic trade union movement in South Africa.