AHOSKIE, N.C. — The life and legacy of civil rights attorney James R. Walker Jr. were celebrated on Saturday, Aug. 15, as family members, community leaders and state officials gathered in his birthplace of Ahoskie for the dedication of a roadside historical marker in his honor.
Local resident LaVone Hicks, Walker’s daughter, attended the long-awaited celebration alongside her sister, Patricia Youmans of Virginia, and N.C. House District 27 Rep. Rodney Pierce.
Walker played an important role in the fight for civil rights and voting access. As an attorney, he argued landmark cases involving literacy requirements that reached the U.S. Supreme Court, helping lay groundwork for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
His work to challenge discrimination began even earlier.
In 1952, Walker became one of the first five Black graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at UNC, he pushed for greater equality on campus, including efforts to desegregate Kenan Stadium, law school social dances and the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies debate team.
His advocacy helped challenge discriminatory practices and expand opportunities for Black students at the university.
The new historical marker recognizing Walker’s contributions stands at the intersection of Academy Street and Memorial Drive in Ahoskie, in front of ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital.
A dedication ceremony was held at New Ahoskie Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Dorian Daniels.
Those attending included Ahoskie Mayor Weyling White, Superior Court Judge Cy Grant, District Court Judge Takiya Lewis-Blalock and former State Sen. Angela Bryant, who represented N.C. Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls. Goldsboro-Wayne NAACP members Francine Smith and the Rev. Marguerite Morris were also among those in attendance.
For Walker’s daughters and those who gathered for the ceremony, the historical marker serves as a permanent reminder of his work to
advance civil rights, voting access and educational equality in North Carolina.
Comments