Tribute to Rev. Dr. John S. Walker and his words on Black Classical Music and Mental Health

Tribute to Rev. Dr. John S. Walker and his words on Black Classical Music and Mental Health
Hosted by Caroline Nestro, PhD
Reverend John S. Walker
Reverend John Walker was born in Columbus, Ohio. He joined the United States Army during the Korean War. After his service, he attended Morris College in South Carolina, where he graduated at the top of his class. Called to ministry, he subsequently enrolled at the Colgate Divinity School in Rochester and graduated in 1969. He went on to earn his Ph.D. at Syracuse University and became a visiting lecturer in Rochester.
In 1973, Rev. Walker became the director of the Baden Street Settlement Counseling Center, and in 1978, became the director of the Seventh Step Foundation. He also worked with FIGHT (Freedom, Integration, God, Honor, Today) and the Marcus Garvey Black Solidarity Committee and wrote for Communique, a black-run Rochester newspaper. In 1989, he became the pastor of Christian Friendship Baptist Church and established several successful outreach ministries such as the one at the Henrietta Corrections Facility. Also, he founded the Adolescent Pregnancy Program, the Rochester Anti-Apartheid Program, the Palestinian Resettlement Committee, the Malawian Hunger Project, the Swaziland Hunger Project, and the Freedom and Justice Program of South Africa. In addition, he taught history and political science at Monroe Community College for many years prior to retirement.
Dr. Walker was also an expert on Jazz, or, as he called it, “Black Classical Music.” He wrote music articles for the Ohio Sentinel between 1960 and 1963 and hosted a local radio program called “Black Classical Music” for 28 years between 1981-2009. As a jazz commentator, he used his African name, Talik Abdul Bashir, and often played full recordings of obscure jazz musicians while detailing their histories for each set. He broadened our musical knowledge and enjoyment of “Black Classical” musicians for many of us.
In 2013, he became co-seminar director for the Rochester Program of Research and Innovation in Disparities Education (PRIDE) which brought together faculty leaders from the URMC Clinical Psychology Training Program and community leaders from faith-based and community-based organizations and health and human service agencies in Rochester, NY. Subsequently, he became the leader of the Clergy Mental Health Collaborative (CMHC), which meets monthly as a collaborative team of clergy members from diverse faith groups in the Rochester community working together to address issues critical to the community, particularly regarding the overall health of poor communities.
In 2019, he became an essential member of the leadership team for the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Community (DICE). He had provided gentle mentorship, guidance, and intimate knowledge of the community generously and selflessly in order to make us all better. He was a strong social justice advocate whose kindness, wisdom, and mentorship will be etched in the memories of many of us in the Department.