The founder of Pastors for Peace worked against racism, sexism, and transphobia, and conveyed to those around him that Cuba is a light for people who want social justice
By Nuria Barbosa Leon | September 7, 2022
Reverend Lucius Walker's permanent solidarity towards Cuba was a symbol of courage, challenging the United States Government, with its unwavering demand to end the criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade against the Island, and defend the people's right to self-determination and to build a sovereign social project.
He was born in New Jersey in August 1930. He graduated from Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1954, and earned a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin.
He founded the Pastors for Peace organization, with the aim of providing humanitarian aid to peoples in need. He passed away on September 7, 2010, victim of a heart attack.
His daughter, Gail Walker, on her last trip to Havana, last July, together with the Pastors for Peace caravan 32, spoke about her father to local journalists, and assured that she loved Cuba because she saw it as an opportunity to those people who fight for a better world.
"When my dad wanted to come here, and put together the caravans, our family helped him because he meant supporting the poor, black people, women and vulnerable people."
She said that Lucius worked against racism, sexism, transphobia, and conveyed to those around him that Cuba is a light for people who want social justice.
"My dad had a lot of respect and love for Fidel Castro, for his dedication to the just causes of the peoples of the world, and towards the people who fight to achieve progress for their countries," said Gail Walker, who felt very moved when remember when the first Pastors for Peace caravan was organized, in 1992, because of the meaning of crossing borders and uniting peoples.
She related that her father conceived five children, of which she is the youngest, and she worked with him, directly, in all the projects carried out by the organization Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO / Pastors for Peace).
She always warned that this work would be hard and difficult, because it was about challenging the Government of the White House, and therefore they could receive personal attacks and reprisals, or against her group, something that she has felt.
“Very ugly messages are received on our office phones from people who hate us. In addition, the press speaks very badly about us, they use hurtful phrases.
“We understand that our work is more important because we do it from the heart, and with a lot of love. So much so that the number of people who support us has grown, and not those who reject us.
"There are more who want to visit, understand and have more relations with Cuba," said Gail Walker.