Mrs. Walker received her bachelor's and master's degrees in education. She graduated from Western Reserve in 1909. She became a third grade teacher at Mayflower Elementary. Her monthly pay at the time was $45. (Plain Dealer 1 Sept 1963, page 74)
Graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1919 and became one of the first black women to be admitted to the Ohio Bar. She chose not to practice law but told a report later in life that she did it to prove that it was possible for a "negro woman to do so" (Plain Dealer 19 May 1980).
She married Herbert Walker in June of 1922.
In 1924, she was appointed to the committee to choose a name for the new community theater. Mrs. Walker found the name Karamu in a dictionary at the Cleveland Public Library. It is a Swahili word meaning "place of joy and entertainment". And with that, the Karamu House in Cleveland got it's name.
1925, Mrs. Walker was a candidate for Council seat in district 3. She ran against Walter L. Brown, Jane E. Hunter, and Tom Fleming.
In 1936, she was the first black principal to be appointed in the Cleveland School system. She was principal at Rutherford B. Hayes Elementary. (Plain Dealer 25 July 1936)
She became Principal of George Washington Carver Elementary when it opened in 1958. She remained there until her retirement in 1958 (there is a newspaper article with her and her grandnieces in the Plain Dealer 27 Feb 1958). The PTA held a "This is your Life" program for Mrs. Walker for her retirement.
Elected to the Ohio state school board in 1961, she than resigned in 1963. (11 June 1963, Plain Dealer) After her resignation, she moved to Everett Mass where her second husband lived.
She also performed in the Cleveland community Theaters. She earned the honor of Karamu in 1951 for her performances on stage and on radio.
Some of her performances:
The Corn is Green by Emlyn Williams (Nov 7, 1946, PD)
Ghost by Ibsen (Jan 28, 1951, PD)
Graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1919 and became one of the first black women to be admitted to the Ohio Bar. She chose not to practice law but told a report later in life that she did it to prove that it was possible for a "negro woman to do so" (Plain Dealer 19 May 1980).
She married Herbert Walker in June of 1922.
In 1924, she was appointed to the committee to choose a name for the new community theater. Mrs. Walker found the name Karamu in a dictionary at the Cleveland Public Library. It is a Swahili word meaning "place of joy and entertainment". And with that, the Karamu House in Cleveland got it's name.
1925, Mrs. Walker was a candidate for Council seat in district 3. She ran against Walter L. Brown, Jane E. Hunter, and Tom Fleming.
In 1936, she was the first black principal to be appointed in the Cleveland School system. She was principal at Rutherford B. Hayes Elementary. (Plain Dealer 25 July 1936)
She became Principal of George Washington Carver Elementary when it opened in 1958. She remained there until her retirement in 1958 (there is a newspaper article with her and her grandnieces in the Plain Dealer 27 Feb 1958). The PTA held a "This is your Life" program for Mrs. Walker for her retirement.
Elected to the Ohio state school board in 1961, she than resigned in 1963. (11 June 1963, Plain Dealer) After her resignation, she moved to Everett Mass where her second husband lived.
She also performed in the Cleveland community Theaters. She earned the honor of Karamu in 1951 for her performances on stage and on radio.
Some of her performances:
The Corn is Green by Emlyn Williams (Nov 7, 1946, PD)
Ghost by Ibsen (Jan 28, 1951, PD)
Mrs. Walker received her bachelor's and master's degrees in education. She graduated from Western Reserve in 1909. She became a third grade teacher at Mayflower Elementary. Her monthly pay at the time was $45. (Plain Dealer 1 Sept 1963, page 74)
Graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1919 and became one of the first black women to be admitted to the Ohio Bar. She chose not to practice law but told a report later in life that she did it to prove that it was possible for a "negro woman to do so" (Plain Dealer 19 May 1980).
She married Herbert Walker in June of 1922.
In 1924, she was appointed to the committee to choose a name for the new community theater. Mrs. Walker found the name Karamu in a dictionary at the Cleveland Public Library. It is a Swahili word meaning "place of joy and entertainment". And with that, the Karamu House in Cleveland got it's name.
1925, Mrs. Walker was a candidate for Council seat in district 3. She ran against Walter L. Brown, Jane E. Hunter, and Tom Fleming.
In 1936, she was the first black principal to be appointed in the Cleveland School system. She was principal at Rutherford B. Hayes Elementary. (Plain Dealer 25 July 1936)
She became Principal of George Washington Carver Elementary when it opened in 1958. She remained there until her retirement in 1958 (there is a newspaper article with her and her grandnieces in the Plain Dealer 27 Feb 1958). The PTA held a "This is your Life" program for Mrs. Walker for her retirement.
Elected to the Ohio state school board in 1961, she than resigned in 1963. (11 June 1963, Plain Dealer) After her resignation, she moved to Everett Mass where her second husband lived.
She also performed in the Cleveland community Theaters. She earned the honor of Karamu in 1951 for her performances on stage and on radio.
Some of her performances:
The Corn is Green by Emlyn Williams (Nov 7, 1946, PD)
Ghost by Ibsen (Jan 28, 1951, PD)
Graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1919 and became one of the first black women to be admitted to the Ohio Bar. She chose not to practice law but told a report later in life that she did it to prove that it was possible for a "negro woman to do so" (Plain Dealer 19 May 1980).
She married Herbert Walker in June of 1922.
In 1924, she was appointed to the committee to choose a name for the new community theater. Mrs. Walker found the name Karamu in a dictionary at the Cleveland Public Library. It is a Swahili word meaning "place of joy and entertainment". And with that, the Karamu House in Cleveland got it's name.
1925, Mrs. Walker was a candidate for Council seat in district 3. She ran against Walter L. Brown, Jane E. Hunter, and Tom Fleming.
In 1936, she was the first black principal to be appointed in the Cleveland School system. She was principal at Rutherford B. Hayes Elementary. (Plain Dealer 25 July 1936)
She became Principal of George Washington Carver Elementary when it opened in 1958. She remained there until her retirement in 1958 (there is a newspaper article with her and her grandnieces in the Plain Dealer 27 Feb 1958). The PTA held a "This is your Life" program for Mrs. Walker for her retirement.
Elected to the Ohio state school board in 1961, she than resigned in 1963. (11 June 1963, Plain Dealer) After her resignation, she moved to Everett Mass where her second husband lived.
She also performed in the Cleveland community Theaters. She earned the honor of Karamu in 1951 for her performances on stage and on radio.
Some of her performances:
The Corn is Green by Emlyn Williams (Nov 7, 1946, PD)
Ghost by Ibsen (Jan 28, 1951, PD)
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