Jackie Walker (activist) facts for kids

Jacqueline Walker (born 10 April 1954) is a British writer and activist. She has worked as a teacher and also trained people on how to fight racism. Jackie Walker wrote a book about her family called Pilgrim State. She also helped write and perform a play called The Lynching. She used to be a leader in a political group called Momentum.

About Jackie Walker's Life

Jackie Walker has shared her family's story in her book, Pilgrim State, and her play, The Lynching. She has a mixed background, with both Jewish and African roots. Her mother, Dorothy Brown, was a black Jamaican Sephardi Jew. Her family came from a mix of Portuguese Jewish people and a woman who was a slave and later became Jewish.

Dorothy was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1915. She moved to the United States. There, she met Jackie's father, Jack Cohen, who was an Ashkenazi Jew. His family came to New York around 1918.

Jackie Walker was born in Harlem, New York City, in 1954. In 1956, her mother, Jackie, and her step-brother moved to Jamaica. Life was hard there, and her mother often had to leave the children with relatives to find work.

In 1959, Jackie's mother moved with her children to London, England. Their family faced poverty and racism. Jackie and her step-brothers sometimes lived in care homes or with foster families. Jackie was the only black child at her primary school and faced bullying. When Jackie was 11, her mother passed away. After that, Jackie lived in care homes and was later adopted by a foster family.

Jackie Walker's Work

Jackie Walker was part of the National Youth Theatre when she was younger. However, she decided to become a teacher instead. She went to Goldsmiths College to train. She worked as a teacher helping young people who had emotional or behavioral difficulties.

She also studied how Black British writers explore identity in their work. Jackie received a grant to finish her family story, Pilgrim State. This book was published in 2006. It was even used as a reading book for social worker training at Brunel University London.

Jackie has also worked as an anti-racist trainer and for charities. She has spent many years fighting against racism and being involved in politics. She has created educational materials and written guides on how to fight racism.

Involvement with the Labour Party

Jackie Walker joined the Labour Party in 1981. This is one of the main political parties in the United Kingdom. She became a leader in her local Labour Party group. She also helped stop a leader from another party, Nigel Farage, from being elected in 2015.

Later, she became a vice-chair of Momentum. This is a group that supports the Labour Party. In 2019, she was no longer a member of the Labour Party due to disagreements. However, she remained a member of Jewish Voice for Labour, a group for Jewish members of the Labour Party.

Sharing Her Story in Films and Shows

Jackie Walker has used plays and films to share her experiences and views. In 2017, she spoke at universities about Palestine and free speech. Some groups raised concerns about her talks. Jackie explained that being supportive of Palestine and critical of some policies is different from being against Jewish people. She also shared that she and her partner are Jewish.

She performed a one-woman play called The Lynching in 2017. This play was about her own experiences. Some groups tried to stop the show from happening. Jackie felt this was an attempt to silence her.

Jackie was also interviewed in a TV series called The Lobby in 2017. This series looked at groups and people who support Israel in the UK.

In 2018, a film called The Political Lynching of Jackie Walker was shown. It was about attempts to silence people who criticize Israel. The event where it was shown had to be stopped because of a bomb threat.

Another film, Witch Hunt, came out in 2019. It was about the accusations against Jackie Walker and others. The showing of this film in Parliament was cancelled.

Activism and Beliefs

When she was younger, Jackie Walker was active in the Anti-Apartheid Movement. This movement fought against unfair racial separation in South Africa.

She supports the rights of Palestinians. She also criticizes some of Israel's policies towards Palestinians. She supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. This movement encourages people to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel to pressure it regarding Palestinian rights. She is also a member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians.

Jackie Walker is a founder of the Kent Anti-Racist Network. She believes that it is fair and right to disagree with the idea of a Jewish state. She says many people, including many Jewish people, hold this view.

She supported Jeremy Corbyn when he was the leader of the Labour Party. She said he always fought against racism and unfairness. She felt that some media and political groups used accusations of antisemitism to attack him.

Personal Life

Jackie Walker has citizenship in both America and Britain.

She has said that she is not against Jewish people, but she is against Zionism. Zionism is the belief in the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel. She explains that she is Jewish herself, and so is her partner. She was raised Catholic for part of her childhood.

She has an older sister and two brothers. She also has three children.

In 2010, Jackie Walker moved from London to Broadstairs, Kent. She lives there with her partner, Graham Bash.

See also

• The Lobby (TV series)