MORGANTOWN — Danielle Walker’s road to the House of Delegates has taken her from the Louisiana bayous to an upscale Morgantown neighborhood, to HUD housing and through the valley of shadows, and out again to statewide recognition.
“I could see every trial and tribulation that we went through was preparing us for something. And I just didn’t know what that was, but I took it all and here we are today.”
Walker was part of the Monongalia County blue wave that put five Democrats into the 51st House District. She’ll be sworn in in January.
Back in 2010, she and he now ex-husband lived in Lafayette, La., midway between Houston and New Orleans. She was working five jobs to help support herself and her two special needs children.
He worked for Chesapeake Energy and the Marcellus fracking boom brought them to Morgantown for a new opportunity. “We didn’t know what we were going to expect coming to West Virginia.”
They were an interracial couple who’d divorced but decided to remain living together to support their blended family – he also had two children. His good-paying job would allow her to be a stay-at-home mom.
“We really didn’t know what that was going to look like, from the outside looking in.” But it turned out well. “West Virginia has opened up its arms to us and has never let us go.”
They lived in Lakeside Village, an upscale apartment complex overlooking Cheat Lake. But then fracking took a downturn and her ex had opportunity to return south to keep his job. He pledged to help support her, but couldn’t afford to pay the lakeside rent.
She decided to stay here. “I was shaken.”
In 2013, she and her sons moved to Marjorie Gardens – HUD housing. They were transferring their goods to their apartment.
“There was a drive-by shooting that day. I remember feeling a disconnect. Had I made the right decision? What was this neighborhood I was bringing my kids in?”
But their upstairs neighbor took them inside and gathered the rest of her goods for them.
Her mother came from Louisiana and stayed with her. In time, they learned it wasn’t a resident who did the shooting. “It just lit a fire in me — that it was exactly where me and my boys needed to be.”
Over time, she helped re-shape the character of the apartment community. She would have youngest son, who has autism, sit outside and read aloud. The neighborhood kids saw that and started passing by to listen. She put out a blanket and snacks for them and required the kids to obtain permission to come sit and eat and listen.
She taught them Southern-style respect. Kids had to address her as Miss Danielle, say yes ma’am and no ma’am. “What I don’t allow my children to do no other child was going to do in my presence.”
She began visiting her boys’ school, Mountainview Elementary, helping other kids and their parents.
Walker is a natural orator – a skill that will serve her on the House floor – and you can hear it as she recounts those days.
“It was there that I found out how to survive. It was there that I found out about food pantries. It was there that I learned about the LIHEAP program to assist me with my light bill. It was there where I learned about the toy and food drive. It was there where that community had no judgment, but just kept giving us vital information time and time again.”
They learned to coupon to save money. Family and friends clipped and mailed them coupons. “If we didn’t have a coupon for it, we couldn’t buy it.”
She started a swap shop with food pantry baskets, cooking classes, community potlucks for days when the resources were tapped. “And this is how we survived.”
Then she saw an ad to join the Habitat for Humanity home building program, applied and got the letter.
“The storm clouds are finally starting to leave and I could see that little glimpse of sunshine. And the sunshine came, and the rainbows came, and other storms came but it was OK. Because now we were Mountaineers and we knew exactly what that meant.”
They were accepted for Habitat in 2104 and moved in in 2016. During those two years, she saw how the community came and pitched in to build the neighborhood homes. “That what Morgantown is about, is building communities. And I didn’t know how I was going to give that back. But my family and I were going to try our best.”
She became part of Habitat development committee, became a family advocate. And she eventually decided to run for office. She’s taken a sabbatical from her insurance agency job and her oldest son, who had moved out on his own, moved back to help support them.
On Election Night, she was at a watch party. She was consoling a friend who’d had some troubles and wasn’t tracking the votes. She saw a joyful look on the face of her fellow candidate Evan Hansen, who’d just learn he was in. She was crossing the room to wish him well.
“Another lady grabs me by the arms and said, ‘You’re in.’”
Walker’s mother was sitting at table eating pretzels. “That was the best Publishers Clearinghouse moment ever. I whispered to her, ‘We won,’ and her chair went flying, and she was so excited.”
She reflects on that nights blue wave. “It was only my name but it was all the community. … It was an array of people who just took a stand and just wanted to be heard. And we made that happen with the five of us.”
Walker’s youngest just began home schooling and will travel with her to Charleston for the session, she said. All five Democrats hope to get sworn in together.
After long deliberation, she submitted her committee choices, pending approval by the House Speaker: Finance, Health and Human Resources, and Education for the majors; Political Subdivisions, Roads and Transportation, and Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse for the minors.
Meantime, she’s received other honors, including being named of the 2018 Wonder Women of west Virginia by a statewide magazine.
“That’s very humbling, to be a transplant and receive that much love from a state. I will always fight for West Virginia.”
