147 Millennium - Twenty-fourth Edition SOCIAL WORK, PUBLIC SERVICE, NONPROFIT AND HUMANITIES Capt. Walton-Russell is the founder and president of the East Texas Association of Black Social Workers Inc. and the co-founder of the Wood County African American Historical Society. She sits on numerous boards, with her extensive community service earning her the President's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 from former President Joe Biden. Another proud moment of Capt. WaltonRussell’s career is her military service. Though she initially wanted to join the U.S. Air Force at 18, her father discouraged her, wanting her to pursue an education instead. In 1977, at 33, she entered active duty as a second lieutenant. She became a first lieutenant one year later and was promoted to captain nine months after that. Capt. Walton-Russell attributes much of her success to her military service and the personal and professional growth it encouraged. Looking toward the future, she desires to leave a legacy centered around care, competence and community spirit. She considers living in alignment with her purpose to be a significant achievement, one she measures not by accolades but by how effectively her work promotes justice and empowers marginalized communities. degree in social work would offer her greater flexibility and more job opportunities. Social work also enabled Capt. Walton-Russell to do the clinical work she sought in psychology, with a concentration on mental health. Wanting to work with people, she used her skills and expertise in nursing homes, home health facilities and schools. She earned her master’s degree in social welfare from the University of California Berkeley and is currently pursuing her PhD at Walden University. Among the highlights of Capt. Walton-Russell’s storied career includes being one of eight cofounders of Unbiased Nonsexist Interethnic Training and Education (UNITE) in 1972. The nonprofit has provided jobs, intersectional education and networking opportunities for women for more than 45 years. Additionally, in 1995, Capt. Walton-Russell cofounded the Addie E. McFarland Foundation Inc. as part of her commitment to preserving the history of the all-Black schools she attended. The foundation was established after one such school was bought and returned to the community. It is one of the only historically Black schools in the area still standing and is now used as an educational and recreational facility for the senior citizens and youth of Mineola, Texas.
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