Daryl Joy Walters is an American politician currently serving as a member of the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 4 ...

from the 4th district, representing

Caddo Parish Caddo Parish () () is a parish located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 237,848. The parish seat and largest city is Shreveport, which developed al ...

. She assumed office on January 8, 2024.

Early life and education

Walters is a native of

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and Philosophy from

Wiley College Wiley University (formerly Wiley College) is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the ...

, an M.Div. from

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a Private university, private seminary, school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Establish ...

, and a Th.M. from

Emory University Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...

. Additionally, she holds a specialized certificate from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

’s Women’s Campaign School.

Career

Before her election, Walters worked as an aide for the

Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...

and also served as an aide to former U.S. Senator

Mary Landrieu Mary Loretta Landrieu ( ; born November 23, 1955) is an American entrepreneur and politician who served as a United States senator from Louisiana from 1997 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Landrieu served as the Louisiana State Treasu ...

. In November 2023, she won the election for the 4th district seat in the

, defeating Jasmine Green with 54% of the vote. In the Louisiana House, Walters serves on the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice, Labor and Industrial Relations, and Transportation, Highways and Public Works committees. She is also a member of the Louisiana Democratic Caucus, the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, and the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus. Walters has been involved in various legislative initiatives, including advocating for absentee voting rights for incarcerated voters and opposing measures that limit home study programs.

Personal life

Walters is a member of

Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emp ...

, having been initiated in the Alpha Iota Chapter. She is also an active member of the Mount Canaan Missionary Baptist Church.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walters, Joy Living people Democratic Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Louisiana State Legislature Women state legislators in Louisiana Emory University alumni Wiley University alumni African-American state legislators in Louisiana Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American women politicians