Dr Wyatt Tee Walker
|
Posted By: Reginald Claremont on November 29, 2005 FEATURED Content Wyatt Tee Walker enjoys an well established record as pastor/theologian, civil rights leader, and cultural historian. He is a double graduate of Virginia Union University (VUU Undergraduate Studies class of '50 and The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, '53), and holds a doctorate from Rochester Theological Center. His graduate studies and research have taken him to the University of Ife in Nigeria and the University of Ghana. An exhibiting artist as well as a composer of sacred music, Jesse Jackson has called him "Harlem's Renaissance Man" because of his multiple gifts and varied careers. Widely traveled, he is regarded internationally as a human rights activist. Wyatt was the first African-American to meet with Chairman Yasir Arafat since the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and Jericho, both occurrences underscoring his involvement as an antiapartheid activist and an advocate for Palestinian self-determination. As a member of the international religious community, he has preached on every continent with the exception of Australia. He is a church historian and prolific author having published many books. He is also considered the nation's leading authority on the music of the African-American Church. His work in civil and human rights brought him to the attention of a seminary friend, Martin Luther King, Jr. King installed Walker in Atlanta as the first full-time Executive Director of the fledgling SCLC in 1960. Under Walker's administration, SCLC grew into a national power in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. His experience in government was via ten years of service as Urban Affairs Specialist to Governor Nelson Rockefeller's troubleshooter, quieting racial tensions that accompanied school desegregation and labor disputes. From his office in central Harlem, he proposed and gained approval for the Harlem State Office Building and convened a community advisory board that advised the Governor on the state agencies it should house. In 1975, Wyatt Tee Walker joined the Board of Directors of Freedom National Bank and served for a decade during which time, he served three terms as Chairman of the Board of the nation's largest and most profitable minority-owned bank. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Reginald Claremont
President, Fulfillment and Web Services, HBCUCONNECT Clark Atlanta University class of 1998 Member Since September 2000 |
More From This Author
Latest Famous HBCU Alumni
 |
Crispus Attucks: American Revolutionary Hero?Crispus Attucks is a name that twenty-first century American schoolchildren usually learn in their introduction to the American Revolution and its heroes. Attucks—a man of African and Native American ...more
Hija Chang • 951 Views • July 25th, 2026 |
 |
On International Chess Day, Celebrating Maurice Ashley – The First African American Chess GrandmasterContent Artist: Shourjyani Chatterjee
Maurice Ashley became the first Black chess Grandmaster in 1999.
He coached young players from Harlem and became a globally recognised chess commentator.
...more
Hija Chang • 851 Views • July 24th, 2026 |
 |
How Dr. Samuel Lee Kountz, Jr. revolutionized kidney transplantsBorn in Lexa, Arkansas in 1930, Dr. Kountz had to work hard and overcome several obstacles to reach his goal of becoming a doctor. Despite failing the entrance exam at his first attempt applying for c ...more
Hija Chang • 843 Views • July 20th, 2026 |
 |
N.C A&T JOMC Alumna Jada Webb Selected for National Geographic Content Scholarship ProgramEAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (May 20, 2026) - Jada Webb '26, who graduated from the mass communication program in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JOMC) at North Carolina Agricultural and ...more
Roger The Great • 1,211 Views • May 20th, 2026 |
Popular Famous HBCU Alumni
 |
Della Miles takes Michelle Obama to the stage in "Obama the Musical"When Della Miles was a student at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, everyone new she would be a brighter star one day having been selected Miss PVAMU and 4th Runner-up to Miss Texas/America 1984. ...more
Frederick Roberts • 91,214 Views • April 11th, 2010 |
 |
Oprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey, the multi media mogul, has garnered international appeal for her talk show. As the first Black woman billionaire in world history, Winfrey has overtaken EBay CEO, Meg Whitman, as the ri ...more
Reginald Claremont • 39,837 Views • September 30th, 2005 |
 |
Kerry D. ChandlerPROFESSION: Legendary HR Executive
Kerry D. Chandler, a San Diego, CA native, is the Executive Vice President of Human Resources at the National Basketball Association responsible for leading the leag ...more
Ryan Rogers • 34,888 Views • May 3rd, 2011 |
 |
WaleDid you know that rapper Wale attended 2 HBCUs!?
Olubowale Victor Akintimehin (born September 21, 1984), better known by his stage name Wale (/ˈwɔːleɪ/ WAW-lay), is an American ...more
Roger The Great • 34,772 Views • March 27th, 2014 |
 |
Rick Ross - Yep Another HBCU AlumnusWilliam Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group. He was born in Coahoma County, M ...more
Reginald Claremont • 33,707 Views • September 1st, 2010 |
