# Neva Walker > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Neva_Walker > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Neva_Walker.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neva_Walker > Source revision: 1337960305 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Neva Walker |image = |caption = |state_house = Minnesota |district = 61B |term_start = January 3, 2001 |term_end = January 5, 2009 |predecessor = [Linda Wejcman](/source/Linda_Wejcman) |successor = [Jeff Hayden](/source/Jeff_Hayden) |birth_name = |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|12|14}} |birth_place = [Minneapolis](/source/Minneapolis), [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota) |party = [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) }} '''Neva Walker''' (born December 14, 1971) is an American politician who served in the [Minnesota House of Representatives](/source/Minnesota_House_of_Representatives) from district 61B from 2001 to 2009.{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10692 |title=Walker, Neva |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2019-02-15}}{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/rep-walker-looks-forward-to-life-with-a-husband-named-steve/15751102/ |title=Rep. Walker looks forward to life with a husband named Steve |publisher=StarTribune.com |date=2008-02-20 |accessdate=2019-02-15|archive-url=https://archive.today/20260210163547/https://www.startribune.com/c-j-rep-walker-looks-forward-to-life-with-a-husband-named-steve/15751102#selection-311.173-311.263|archive-date=2026-02-10}} Walker was the first African-American woman to be elected to the [Minnesota Legislature](/source/Minnesota_Legislature). == Legislative service == Walker ran for District 61B in [South Minneapolis](/source/Neighborhoods_of_Minneapolis) in 2000. She was endorsed by the [Democratic-Farmer-Labor](/source/Minnesota_Democratic%E2%80%93Farmer%E2%80%93Labor_Party) party. District 61B at the time was 35% African American and a DFL stronghold. She ran against [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) Andy Lindberg.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Brandt |date=2000-03-23 |title=Neva Walker running to become first Black woman lawmaker |url=https://archive.mpr.org/stories/2000/03/23/neva-walker-running-to-become-first-black-woman-lawmaker |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=archive.mpr.org}}She decided to run for office after she had a negative experience demonstrating with homeless people at the Capitol.{{Cite news |last=Watson |first=Mary Kay |date=2001-02-16 |title=History maker: First female African-American legislator brings community concerns to the Capitol |url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/LegDB/articles/10692SessWeeklyProfile.pdf |work=Session Weekly |pages=17}} Prior to her election, six African-American men had been elected to the legislature but no women; [John Francis Wheaton](/source/John_Francis_Wheaton) was the first in 1899. Upon her election, she joined [Greg Gray](/source/Gregory_Gray_(politician)) as the only two African Americans in the legislature. On May 16, 2008, she became the first African-American woman to gavel the House into session. In 2003, Walker received a letter from the lawyer of [Corcoran](/source/Corcoran%2C_Minnesota) Republican [Arlon Lindner](/source/Arlon_Lindner) that was addressed to her as "Walker-Black". Walker said [racist incidents](/source/Racism) she faced were "emotionally and mentally draining."{{Cite news |last=Collins |date=2008-01-03 |title=Pioneering legislator won't seek 5th term |url=https://www.startribune.com/pioneering-legislator-won-t-seek-5th-term/12978896 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241204163804/https://www.startribune.com/pioneering-legislator-won-t-seek-5th-term/12978896 |archive-date=2024-12-04 |access-date=2026-02-10 |language=en|first=Terry|work=Minnesota Star Tribune|last2=Walsh|first2=Paul}} Her committee assignments included finance, health and human services, and mental health. Walker served four terms.{{Cite web |date=2008-01-02 |title='08 session is the last for pioneering Minnesota legislator |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2008/01/02/walkerretires |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309110936/http://www.mprnews.org/story/2008/01/02/walkerretires |archive-date=2021-03-09 |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=MPR News |language=en}} == Personal life == Walker grew up in [Minneapolis](/source/Minneapolis). Her mother, Clarissa Walker, was program manager for Sabathani Community Center for over thirty years. Walker graduated from [Minneapolis South High School](/source/South_High_School_(Minnesota)). Walker had one son, Shae, who passed in 2021.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-07-07 |title=Remembering Shae TcShaumbay Hill-Walker |url=https://spokesman-recorder.com/2021/07/07/shae-tcshaumbay-hill-walker/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder |language=en-US}} She married in 2007. Walker attended the [University of Minnesota](/source/University_of_Minnesota) and studied [sociology](/source/sociology). She worked as a youth development coordinator for the Minneapolis Area United Way and had a history as an [affordable housing](/source/affordable_housing) advocate.{{Cite web |title=Neva Walker prepares for role as new state legislator |url=https://archive.mpr.org/stories/2000/12/28/neva-walker-preparing-be-new-legislator |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=archive.mpr.org}} == External links == * [https://archive.mpr.org/stories/2000/12/28/neva-walker-preparing-be-new-legislator Neva Walker on preparing to be a new legislator from Minnesota Public Radio, 2000] ==References== {{Reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Neva}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Minneapolis Category:Women state legislators in Minnesota Category:African-American state legislators in Minnesota Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:South High School (Minnesota) alumni Category:African-American women in politics Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature {{Minnesota-MNRepresentative-Democratic-stub}} Category:African-American history in Minneapolis–Saint Paul --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Neva Walker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neva_Walker) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neva_Walker?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.