Nikuyah Walker
Nikuyah Walker is the mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia. She became the city's first black female mayor in November 2017, after being elected to the Charlottesville City Council.[1]
Nikuyah Walker | |
---|---|
Mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia | |
Assumed office January 4, 2018 | |
Preceded by | Michael Signer |
Personal details | |
Political party | Independent |
Alma mater | Virginia Commonwealth University (B.A.) |
Profession | Civil servant, activist |
Personal life
Walker was born and raised in Charlottesville.[1] She graduated from Charlottesville High School in 1998 and received her bachelor's degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2004.[1] She has three children.
Career
2017 City Council Campaign
Walker began her campaign in March 2017.[2] Her campaign gained traction after the Unite the Right rally in August 2017.[2] Walker publicly pressured the City Council and then-mayor Michael Signer to answer questions about why a permit had been issued for the rally, and why the City Council was not addressing issues raised by the event.[3] Walker and Heather Hill were elected to the city council, winning 29% and 28% of the vote respectively.[4]
Mayor of Charlottesville
Walker was the first Independent candidate to be elected to the City Council since the 1940s.[3] One of Walker's major goals is to increase affordable housing in the city.[5]
Walker participated in a pilgrimage to The National Memorial for Peace and Justice to honor the memory of John Henry James, who was lynched just outside Charlottesville in 1898.[5]
References
- "Nikuyah Walker, Mayor | City of Charlottesville". www.charlottesville.org. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
- Beckett, Lois (2018-08-07). "Charlottesville's first black female mayor: 'We're not a post-racial nation'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
- Lim, Clarissa-Jan. "Charlottesville Has Elected A Black Woman As Mayor For The First Time Ever". Bustle. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
- Freedman, Emmy. "Hill, Walker Win 2 Charlottesville City Council Seats". www.nbc29.com. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
- Stockman, Farah (2018-07-21). "Year After White Nationalist Rally, Charlottesville Is in Tug of War Over Its Soul". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-08.