Alberta Olga Grant

Apr 17, 1936 - Jan 12 2021

Born Alberta Olga Walker, in Harlem New York on April 17th 1936, our mother was a woman who lived courageously by her own terms and her own definitions. A civil rights activist, a Korean War veteran, and a fashion model in the 60’s, Alberta opened new doors for what a black woman of the era could achieve.

A graduate of the High School of Music and Arts the “Castle on the Heights” in 1953 NYC, Berta Walker was lifelong proud to have attended with Diahann Carol and Billy Dee Williams where she studied singing, modeling, and acting. She was known to have a beautiful singing voice, something she carried even into her later years.

In the 1950’s Alberta served stateside as a sergeant in the Women’s Air Corp during the Korean Conflict. She was discharged honorably in 1957 and promptly moved to San Francisco where she became actively involved in acting, modeling, and singing; a fixture on the city’s cultural scene.

Proud of her North Beach jazz connections and Harlem upbringing, she was indeed a rare site on the San Francisco streets. “I was most definitely not a Hippie” mom used to correct us, “I was a Bohemian.”

In her later years Alberta served at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission where she worked tirelessly for 42 to years to fight against job place discrimination for people of color. She helped investigate discrimination and non-compliance in employment, housing and public accommodation.

Upon her retirement in 2012, Mayor Gavin Newsom attended her ceremony and gave her the key to the city to celebrate her long years of service.

Our cherished moments with Alberta are all centered around music. She introduced us to the sounds of multiple eras and gave us a lifelong joy of song. She taught us stage presence and how to perform as we danced endlessly around our living room on Saturday afternoons. Her record collection was legendary and still sits in our family to this day.

A great friend to the gay community, we fondly remember Alberta’s relationship with local businessman Cliff Newman who adopted our family as his own. Cliff’s kindness and boundless affection for our “fabulous mother” was a source of great joy. We watched with pride as Alberta stayed by Cliff’s side when he sadly passed away from AIDS in 1981. Her courage and support laid the foundation for her children’s continued support of the LBGTQ community.

Alberta is survived by her loving sister Charlene Toombs and children Paula Bankett-Young, Jimmy Cox, Leslie Miles, Lisa Harris, Victoria Conmy, and Christopher Grant and joins her son Leonard Broussard in Heaven on this day January 12th, 2021.