Little Known Black History Fact: Joyce Alexander Walker

In 1997, at the urging of then Cherry Hill Mayor Susan Bass-Levin, Joyce Alexander Walker became the first African American elected to the Cherry Hill Township Council in New Jersey. She was already active on the township planning board and was a member of the Cherry Hill African American Civic Association.

A Princeton and Rutgers-Newark grad,Walker’s career as a businesswoman took flight through her family owned industrial-supply business in Cherry Hill. The company is Multifacet Inc., a wholesale distributor of janitorial supplies, safety products, construction materials, and hospitality supplies.

Walker served as city councilwoman until 2002, when she was elected as vice president. She served in that capacity until 2005. During her appointment on the council, she built the Cherry Hill library. Walker was denied re-election in 2005, when Democrats denied her a spot on the ballot. But after a hiatus, she landed on the Cherry Hill Board of Fire Commissioners two years ago. She climbed up to chairwoman quickly.

The chairwoman was active in campaigns representing President Obama’s first administration and State Representative John Adler. She was a leader in several organizations, including the South Jersey Citizens for Change, Organizing for America and Organizing for Action.

Joyce Walker was chosen to serve as the delegate at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. Sadly, she passed away from cancer at age 60 this past weekend. Prior to her passing, Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn had designated November 5th as Joyce Alexander Walker Day, honoring her public service. Cahn has referred to Walker as, “a champion for women (and) a fierce advocate for the underprivileged.”