Nikuyah Walker

Walker began her campaign in March 2017, running for one of two open City Council seats as an Independent under the slogan "Unmasking the Illusion," in reference to the history of racism in Charlottesville.[6] She ran with little expectation of success, hoping to add her voice to debates, but after the Unite the Right rally in August, her campaign gained more traction.[6] Walker publicly pressured the City Council and then-mayor Michael Signer to answer questions about why a permit had been issued for the rally, and why the City Council was not addressing issues raised by the event.[7] On election day, Walker and Heather Hill were selected by voters to join the City Council, winning 29% and 28% of the vote respectively.[8]

Walker was the first Independent candidate to be elected to the City Council since the 1940s.[7] Soon after the election she was selected as mayor by her fellow councilors, as is the procedure in Charlottesville. Walker's leadership style is fundamentally disruptive, and her goal is to question the established progressive leadership that has set Charlottesville's government agenda for some time[6] and to enact sweeping changes that she believes are necessary to correct the inequities in the city.[5] One of her major goals is to increase affordable housing in the city.[5]

As mayor, Walker has become a national and international representative of Charlottesville, having been interviewed by a number of major outlets about the Unite the Right rally and related issues that have put Charlottesville under a spotlight.[9] With other Charlottesville residents, Walker participated in a pilgrimage to The National Memorial for Peace and Justice to honor the memory of John Henry James, who was lynched just outside Charlottesville in 1898.[5]