Uncrowned Community Builders

Sandra Leah Walker was born in Buffalo, New York on July 17, 1944. She is the oldest child of the late Samuel S. Walker, Sr. and Georgie Stokes Walker, both originally of Calhoun Falls, SC. Her brother, Samuel resides in California and her younger sister by almost 17 years, Sonia Lynn, resides with her in Buffalo.

She and her siblings are proud to be the third generation of five living generations. Her grandmother, Lucille Lee Stokes is 97 and was also born in Calhoun Falls, SC. She is the mother of Leah Andria Johnson (David) Behrens and Thomas William (Tiffany) Johnson Jr. and has been blessed with three grandsons, David Paul Behrens III, age 3, Gabriel Thomas Behrens, age 1, and Christian Thomas Johnson, age 1.

Sandra was graduated from P.S. #17 and Lafayette High School. She completed Buffalo State College in a three year accelerated program in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish in the Elementary School. After briefly being employed at the New York State Employment Service, she began a career with the Buffalo Public Schools in April 1966. In 1973 she was selected by the school system and the University at Buffalo to participate in a program to train teachers to become School Counselors. She received a Masters of Education in 1974. She retired as a School Counselor at McKinley High School in June 2000.

Sandra is a 50-year member of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior. She taught Sunday School, the Adult Bible Class, and was the Administrator of the RagTime Vacation Bible School; sang in the Junior Choir, Senior Choir, and Voices of God Choir; was the Council Secretary and is Parliamentarian for the Church Council. In 1987 she was the third woman elected to the Board of Deacons and in October 2000 she became the first woman elected as Chair of the Board of Deacons.

In October 1963, Sandra became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and is the immediate past president of Xi Epsilon Omega Chapter located in Amherst, New York. She is on the Board of Directors of LADD (Lutheran Association for the Developmentally Disabled) and is a member of the Task Force for Mission Development for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in the city of Buffalo. She is a member of the NAACP and Urban League and has voted in every election since age 18.

Sandra, the National Foote Family Reunion Treasurer, and her sister, Sonia, the National Foote Family Reunion President renewed their interest in genealogy after attending a reunion in 1986. They are researching both Walkers and Footes. The Walker line stems from their father. The Foote line stems from their maternal great-grandmother, Leah Foote Lee who was married to David Lee, the parents of their grandmother, Lucille Lee Stokes.

While, we may never know our home tribe from Africa, we hope to leave future generations with knowledge, information, and pride in who they are.



REFLECTIONS: ON BECOMING A 50 YEAR MEMBER (GOLDEN SOROR) OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INC.


"I have been programmed. It started with my Grandma, Lucille Stokes, and her siblings. Coming from South Carolina, she brought the ideals and values of African-Americans (Negroes) from the south to Buffalo in 1924, the right to vote, the right to work and get paid a decent wage, the right to worship and serve in the church, the importance of education, and the importance of family.

She programmed my mother with those same values. Mom wrote letters to the editor, served on community boards, started the PTA at school #17 when we went there, worked in the church, worked as an inspector in the voting booth, and took us to activities to help develop our character.

Both of them, along with my father, programmed me. You don't start something and move on until it is finished. You are loyal to friends and family. You will get the best grades you can and will go to college. You can disagree without being disagreeable. You will respect others. You will take responsibility for your actions and learn how to say "I was wrong; I'm sorry". You will help make things better. You will work in the community.

Sunday School, choir, Walther League, church, dance, piano, charm and modeling classes, YMCA, Jr. NAACP, Junior Achievement, Y-Teens, Public Speaking and acting in school plays, attending forums and seminars, learning African-American and family history, working for political campaigns and candidates, and voting (I have missed only one November election since age 18) are just a portion of the programming.

I graduated from Lafayette High School in June of 1962 and I entered Buffalo State in July in an accelerated 3-year program. There were a handful of African-Americans. We found each other and I found Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. (I have one cousin in Buffalo who is an AKA and who, God willing, will be diamond at the Boule next year and I have one cousin who is a Delta.) Our sorority, being a part of the first and the best, is a natural extension of my programming. We are practicing service to all mankind, high academic standards, good moral character, and a sisterhood using love and respect to promote projects that will "help make things better".

I give special thanks to my undergrad mentors while I was in Gamma Iota and who taught me about Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Sorors Marion Mayfield, Cecelia Henderson, and Alicia Givens and the others who are not here. I also thank those sisters in Gamma Phi Omega who helped continue my growth. I thank, love and praise the courage of the 24 sisters, who with me chartered Xi Epsilon Omega Chapter.

Lastly and firstly, I give thanks, praise, honor, and glory to God, his son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who has order my steps through all the years of my life and 50 years as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc."