Former Georgia Senate Majority Leader Charles Walker Dies at 78
Charles W. Walker Sr., the first Black Senate Majority Leader in Georgia, passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 78. Born into a sharecropping family in Burke County, Walker earned a business degree from Augusta College. His political career began in 1983 with the first of four terms in the state House. He quickly rose through the ranks, being elected to the state Senate in 1990 and soon becoming chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. In 1996, he made history as the first Black person to be chosen as Georgia Senate Majority Leader, placing an Augusta legislator at the center of power in a state government then dominated by Democrats. Beyond his political achievements, Walker also established a significant business presence in Augusta, including Georgia Personnel Services and the Walker Group. He founded and published the Augusta Focus, a newspaper dedicated to serving Augusta's Black community. He was also a key author of the 1995 Consolidation Act, which led to the consolidation of Augusta and Ri... 
