579 Folly Road, P.O. Box 12242 Charleston SC, 29422
HONORING, GIVING A HELPING HAND, AND WORKING WITH OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITIES.
Honoring service members for over 20 years with the James Island American Legion Post 147.
Stem Point Memorial Cemetery, 1633 Terns Nest Rd, Charleston, SC 29412
Honoring Our Islands' Gullah Geechee Heritage
Raised on These Islands. Running to Protect Them.
Carlton Walker did not just hear about Gullah Geechee heritage. He grew up living it.
Raised on the Sea Islands, Carlton attended Stiles Point Elementary, James Island Middle School, and James Island High School. Riding the school bus each day, many of his classmates were part of the Gullah Geechee community, including families who lived in the historic homes at McLeod Plantation. They rode the same buses, sat in the same classrooms, and grew up together on James Island.
Like many island kids in high school, Carlton remembers playing case quarters with friends. Some days you walked away with a pocket OR SOCK full of quarters. Other days you lost them all and had to borrow lunch money from a friend. Those memories reflect something deeper about the islands. It was a community where people grew up together and shared everyday life.
When Mr. McLeod passed away, he donated what remained of the plantation so the history of the people who lived and worked there could be preserved. That decision ensured that an important part of the island’s story would not be forgotten.
Growing up on the Sea Islands during the 1970s and 1980s, the culture of the Lowcountry was simply part of everyday life. The old Geechee accent was spoken by both Black and white island families, while the Gullah language was spoken within the Gullah Geechee community. At the time, most people simply accepted it as the natural way people spoke on the islands.
Today those voices and accents are becoming harder to hear unless you spend time in some of the neighborhoods that still remain on the Sea Islands. That is why Carlton believes it is important to preserve these stories, voices, and traditions before they are lost forever.
Carlton also remembers the families who worked the water around the Sea Islands.
One of those men was a Gullah Geechee Vietnam veteran who returned home after serving his country and started a shrimping business with his two cousins. Like many island families, they made their living working the creeks and rivers that have sustained the Lowcountry for generations.
Carlton did not know him personally, but his father, J. J. Walker Jr., honored him by playing Taps at his funeral. It was another reminder of the respect that existed within these island communities, where people honored service, family, and the lives of those who worked the land and the water.
Stories like that are part of the real history of the Sea Islands. They reflect the hard work, sacrifice, and traditions that built the Lowcountry.
Respect for community and heritage was something Carlton learned from his father, J. J. Walker Jr.
After the tragic murder of the Charleston Nine at Mother Emanuel AME Church, the people of Charleston came together to show the world what our community stands for. Charleston did not burn. Charleston stood together in faith and unity and showed the world that WE ARE CHARLESTON STRONG.
At that time, Joe Riley was serving as Mayor of Charleston, and the leadership and unity shown by the city reflected the character of the community.
Carlton’s daughter was only five years old at the time. He carried her to the top of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge so she could see the city unite, understand what had happened, and how the community responded with unity instead of hatred.
Carlton wanted his daughter to understand the same lesson his father had taught him. Charleston stands together. We honor our neighbors and reject hatred and violence.
Carlton’s mother is Helen R. Walker, and the R stands for Riley. Through a conversation with Joe Riley’s father, the family discovered that they are distant relatives on his father’s side of the family.
In 2023, J. J. Walker Jr. continued his lifelong tradition of honoring others. While quietly battling cancer, he still stepped forward to play Taps, honoring those who had served and those the community had lost. He did it quietly and without recognition because honoring others was simply part of who he was.
Carlton also learned the importance of service during his time serving the country when General Colin Powell was leading the United States military. The mission he carried out under that leadership instilled values that have guided him ever since. Those values include compassion, dedication, responsibility, courage, diligence, and hard work.
Those same values guide Carlton today.
The mission of preserving the heritage of the Sea Islands and the Gullah Geechee culture requires those same principles. Protecting the communities, traditions, land, and history that shaped the Lowcountry requires commitment and leadership.
That is why preserving places like Seaside Lane, Sol Legare, and the rural communities of Johns Island matters so deeply to him.
These places represent more than land. They represent families, traditions, farming, fishing, and a way of life that has existed for generations.
Carlton believes the rural land on Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island should not simply be turned into endless developments. The farming communities, shrimping and fishing traditions, and the land that has sustained families for centuries must be protected for future generations.
Honoring the heritage of the Gullah Geechee people means more than words. It means protecting the land, the communities, the voices, and the traditions that shaped the Lowcountry.
Carlton Walker’s life and history show that this commitment is not new.
It is part of the story of growing up on these islands, raising his family here, and working to protect the place he calls home.
Carlton respectfully asks for the support and trust of the Gullah Geechee and African American communities, as well as all who care about preserving the culture and future of the Sea Islands.
Some candidates may talk about what they hope to do someday.
Carlton Walker has spent his life already doing it.
Raised on These Islands. Running to Protect Them. 🌾🌊
A Silent Struggle to Honor our fallen Gullah Geechee
This is what being "Island Strong" means to Carlton Walker. When elected he will fight to pass a law ensuring that every fallen service member IN SC is honored by a live bugler, rather than a recorded speaker.
Carlton attended this ceremony to honor a fallen service member with the intention of recording his father. Knowing that his father was battling cancer, Carlton believed this might be one of the last times he would be able to film him playing Taps at a funeral for a fallen veteran for the past 20 years.
After arriving, Carlton noticed his father, J. J. Walker Jr., lean against a large headstone and bend forward in pain. Watching from nearby, Carlton grew concerned and wondered if he might need to step over to help him.
What very few people present that day knew was that J. J. Walker Jr. was quietly battling CLL blood cancer, a diagnosis he had received in November of 2020. Despite the pain he was enduring, he never said a word and never stepped away from the responsibility he had come to fulfill.
When the ceremony began, Carlton started recording. He wanted to capture the moment of his father honoring a fallen American veteran, just as he had done for so many families in this community.
The struggle his father carried that day, both to honor the fallen and to set an example for his son, is difficult to put into words.
Carlton shares this image so people can understand who his father truly is. He is the quiet man behind the bugle whose notes of Taps bring families and veterans to tears during a full military honors ceremony.
Many people do not realize that when a live bugler is not present, the sound of Taps is often played from a recording through a small speaker. Carlton believes our fallen service members deserve better.
They deserve a live bugler standing in uniform, honoring them with Taps played through human breath, human effort, and real sacrifice.
Moments like this reflect a simple belief that Carlton learned growing up on these islands. Respect your neighbors. Honor those who served. Stand with your community.
Those values are why Carlton believes the traditions, history, and communities of the Sea Islands and the Gullah Geechee people must always be respected and preserved.
Sheriff Ritchie Appoints Captain Alan Ali to Lead outreach.
When we elect the right people, our community improves. Carl Ritchie is a Johns Island native, too.
Mrs. Cheatham of James Island: A Local Civil Rights Hero Gets the Help She Deserves through Sheriff Carl Ritchie's program.
Mrs. Cheatham, a 93 year old resident of James Island, spent much of her life helping others in her community. When she eventually needed help herself, neighbors, community leaders, and local businesses came together to make sure she would not face those challenges alone.
Carlton Walker first became aware of Mrs. Cheatham’s situation through community outreach efforts connected with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, where Captain Alan Ali works closely with community members to identify people who may need assistance.
Carlton was also aware of the situation through his involvement with the Charleston Exchange Club, a long standing civic organization whose members serve the community through a wide range of charitable programs. Each year, the Charleston Exchange Club and its members help direct nearly one million dollars in charitable support to organizations and initiatives that strengthen the community.
While the Exchange Club works with many partners across the region, its mission is simple. Members step forward to serve the community and help those in need.
When Carlton learned about Mrs. Cheatham’s situation, he reached out to friends and members of the community. Together they raised $4,000, which was donated through a local charity to help meet her immediate needs.
Support quickly began to grow. The Mayor of James Island was one of the first to respond, helping provide food and assistance for Mrs. Cheatham.
When Carlton later visited her home, he noticed the condition of the roof was causing serious problems. Water damage had begun affecting the house she had lived in for many years.
Carlton immediately began working to find a solution.
He contacted ABC Supply, a company he regularly purchases building materials from while working to repair and improve homes across the Sea Islands. After hearing about Mrs. Cheatham’s situation, ABC Supply agreed to donate roofing materials for the project.
Carlton then worked with one of his subcontractors, who agreed to provide labor at the lowest possible cost so the roof could be replaced.
Carlton personally pulled the permit for the work, and officials from Charleston County, the Town of James Island, and the City of Charleston helped expedite the permitting process so the roof could be installed quickly and prevent further damage to the home.
Because of the generosity of the community, Mrs. Cheatham received a new roof at no cost.
It was a moment that reflected what can happen when neighbors, businesses, and community leaders work together to help someone in need.
Unfortunately, the story did not end the way everyone had hoped. Despite the community’s efforts to help her remain in her home, Mrs. Cheatham eventually required additional care. She and her 57 year old mentally disabled nephew, whom she had been caring for, were later moved to a facility where they could receive the assistance they needed.
For Carlton, the experience was heartbreaking but also eye opening.
He learned that some individuals had been charging Mrs. Cheatham $600 a month just to cut her grass, taking advantage of an elderly woman who had spent her life helping others.
Moments like that remind us how important it is for communities to look after and protect our elders, especially those who helped build the neighborhoods and communities we call home.
Mrs. Cheatham’s story is ultimately one of community, compassion, and respect for elders.
It is a reminder that when neighbors step forward and work together, they can make a real difference in someone’s life.
Giving Mrs. Cheatham a new Roof for FRee.
Just people helping and working with people over the years.
Just people helping and working with people over the years.
Father’s Day 2015: After the tragic loss of the Charleston 9, Carlton Walker carried his daughter to the top of the Ravenel Bridge.
Father’s Day 2015: After the tragic loss of the Charleston 9, Carlton Walker carried his daughter to the top of the Ravenel Bridge, teaching her that racism is wrong and that love and unity are stronger than hate. It was a powerful moment of healing and a lesson in hope, courage, and compassion — values Carlton continues to carry into his service and leadership today.
Father’s Day – June 21, 2015: Thousands gathered beneath and upon the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston to stand united against the racist hatred that took the lives of the Emanuel Nine, nine innocent people who opened their church doors in love and faith. Carlton Walker was among them, carrying his young daughter to the top of the bridge to teach her that racism is wrong and that love, courage, and u
A picture speaks a thousand words.
When you need help, it doesn’t matter what color your skin is.
Children aren’t born with hate — they’re taught it. On that Father’s Day in 2015, I made sure my daughter understood that what happened in Charleston was wrong, and that love, compassion, and unity must always be stronger than racism and division.
Carlton Walker's #1 motivation - FOR his daughter and Our Children's future!
LET'S GIVE EACH OTHER A HAND - EARLY VOTING TUESDAY, MAY 26 - FRIDAY, MAY 29 MONDAY, JUNE 1 - FRIDAY, JUNE 5 8:30 AM TO 5:00 PM
