In Celebration of Juneteenth, meet Mary Walker, who started her life as slave but ended it as free woman who inspired others.

Juneteenth is a holiday that commemorates the liberation of those who had been held as slaves in the United States.?Meet Mary Walker, who started her life as slave but ended it as free woman who learned to read and inspired others!

Mary Walker was 116 years old when she learned how to read. Dubbed the oldest student by the mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee she lived to be 121. Walker was freed from slavery at the age of fifteen. After being freed she was gifted her first bible, admiring the book that she could not read – it served as a reminder of a goal she had set as a young girl. A goal that hard circumstances made difficult to achieve. Walker worked odd jobs to support her family that left little time to pursue education. Eventually, Mary found herself in a nursing home after outliving her husband and children. Mary found the Chattanooga Area Literacy Movement (CALM) hosting reading classes in her nursing home and took full advantage. She learned letter sounds and sight words as she worked her way to literacy. I admire Mary Walker’s story because it is somewhat fanciful, and totally endearing. After reading to people, she would always end with, “you’re never too old to learn”, and that message remains prevalent. As I work to complete my master’s program, Mary’s experience stays with me.?The dedication, resilience and hard work is something I admire and aspire to live up to. Not only is Mary’s life a lesson in hard work paying off, but it is also one about patience and virtue. Mary Walker shows us that through all walks of life our dreams are possible.

Walker’s story is also inspiring to me because it is a fine example of a community serving its most deserving. The CALM program came in and helped Mary for free. Mary Walker’s story is a story of shared success. It is a beautiful reminder that we must give back to those in need the most and go back to serve our communities. Mary Walker’s story stands out because of how old she was when she learned to read, but I think anyone that looks at this her journey understands that she is an example of how much good the community can do for its people. Hand in hand these experiences allow us a window into what is possible as an individual and as a community.