The resolution honors the legacy of John W. Walker, Sr., a prominent civil rights attorney and long-serving State Representative in Arkansas, who dedicated his life to fighting against discrimination. Born on June 3, 1937, in Hope, Arkansas, Walker faced significant racial barriers throughout his education and career, including being the first Black undergraduate student admitted to the University of Texas, though he was not allowed to attend due to his race. He earned his degrees from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, New York University, and Yale University, and began his legal career with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Walker established one of the first racially integrated law firms in the South and was involved in numerous landmark cases that advanced civil rights in Arkansas.

Throughout his career, Walker was instrumental in desegregating schools and addressing racial discrimination in various sectors, including a notable nationwide case against Walmart, Inc. His contributions earned him numerous accolades, including induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and the Southern Trial Lawyers Association's War Horse Award. Following his death on October 28, 2019, the resolution expresses the House of Representatives' remembrance of Walker's lifelong commitment to civil rights and his service to the state, with a copy of the resolution to be presented to his family.