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Cedar Bayou native Victoria Taylor Walker began school at age four at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, which supported African American students up to eighth grade. With financial help from her family and church and with her own work, at age 14 Victoria was able to attend Prairie View Normal and Industrial College. She received her teaching certificate in two years and started working at Bayshore Elementary in the Anahuac school district.
After additional classes at Prairie View she became the teacher at Cedar Bayou Colored School in 1933. She made two early requests: lengthen the term from six to nine months, matching the white school; and provide a water well so her students did not have to cross a busy road. The school board granted both requests. After Victoria married Sam Walker she continued her education, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in 1937. Despite a lower salary and insufficient resources, she taught her students each day and opened the schoolhouse many evenings to teach adults. In 1951, a new three-room school was built and the school board granted the community's request t? name the facility Victoria Walker Elementary School.
In 1954, Cedar Bayou schools consolidated with Goose Creek, who closed the school in 1964 to begin the process of desegregation. Mrs. Walker and her students moved to George Washington Carver school in Baytown, which continued to be segregated until 1966. Mrs. Walker then taught at Stephen F. Austin Elementary, becoming the school's first black teacher. In 1971 she retired from teaching. In 2007, Goose Creek CISD named a new elementary school honoring the lifelong educator who had said "No one can love teaching more than I do. They may love it as much, but not more." (2020) |
