Ann B. Walker, the first woman and Black broadcaster to cover the Ohio State House and Columbus City Council, has died. Walker was 101 years old. During her career, she broke many barriers for women and minorities in journalism.
WOSU’s Debbie Holmes spoke Monday with Walker’s daughter, Julialynne Walker, about her mother’s legacy.
Debbie Holmes: Tell me about your mother's contributions to journalism. I mentioned a couple of them, but there were quite a few.
Julialynne Walker: Yes, she primarily considered herself a door opener, a supporter of talent, unrecognized talent, and one who tried to change the system for the benefit of all.
Debbie Holmes: And she worked at several places.
Julialynne Walker: Yes, she started out in print journalism with the Ohio Sentinel in the late 40s, moved eventually to WVKO here in Columbus in the early 60s, and then WLWC, the NBC affiliate here in Ohio before going to Washington, D.C., where she worked with Jimmy Carter on a national platform.
Debbie Holmes: Did she ever talk about her roadblocks in her career, and what did she say?
Julialynne Walker: Yes, she was stymied when people failed to recognize her talent, and instead judged her based on her physical characteristics, her gender.
Debbie Holmes: And so tell me about how she wanted to make sure she was getting equal pay.
Julialynne Walker: Well, yes, she did have an encounter. Yes, early when she applied for the...she was solicited actually for the position at WLWC, and when she inquired as to the salary, she asked them to wait a bit because she wanted to check and make sure that what she was being offered was consistent with what a man would receive in the same position, because she wanted to make sure that she wasn't being low-balled as it were. And she did get her money.
Debbie Holmes: What do you think your mom's legacy is for the central Ohio community?
Julialynne Walker: One of concern for unrecognized talent, one of ensuring that the door is open for everyone and one of making sure that people recognize the systemic structures that exist as barriers for so many of us. She made sure for instance that she hired interns who she thought had potential, but may have otherwise not have gotten those positions. She was the first one to hire Angela Pace, as a student intern, and Angela just retired as well as the longest-serving community relations director in Columbus.
Debbie Holmes: What did she say about today's journalists and whether they were a diverse group locally and nationally?
Julialynne Walker: She was very pleased with the group here. She was a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists several decades ago, but continued to support the group here. And most recently, they responded by submitting an application that was approved for her to receive an Ohio Valley Emmy for lifetime achievement.
Debbie Holmes: What did she think about that?
Julialynne Walker: Oh, she was very excited. You know, a couple of times she would say, 'oh, I should have gotten this 15 years ago. That story I did on Malcolm X was really hot and they didn't recognize it.' And we would say that's okay. This is lifetime, not just for a particular program. And so, she really was very excited about it.
Debbie Holmes: Did your mom have a favorite job during her career that she would talk about?
Julialynne Walker: I think her last job was actually her most favorite, and that was because working for President Carter gave her an opportunity to interact on a national level with a number of different people whom she wouldn't otherwise have had exposure to. And she was able to learn a lot from them. And that's something that was always very important for her, her own personal growth.
Debbie Holmes: How will you remember your mom?
Julialynne Walker: That's such a hard one. There are so many ways. Let me just say that I hope that I can, you know, just be a tenth of what she was and how she cared for and supported people. And I'll leave it at that.
