Major General William Walker was sworn in as House sergeant-at-arms on Monday, becoming the first Black person to hold the position. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the oath of office to Walker. He will escort President Joe Biden down the center aisle of the House chambers during his address before a joint session of Congress, Yahoo! News reported. 

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“His historic appointment as the first Black American to serve as Sergeant-at-Arms is an important step forward for this institution and our nation,” Pelosi said. 

Honored to swear in the former commander of the Washington, DC National Guard, Major General William Walker, as House Sergeant-at-Arms. His historic appointment as the first Black American to serve as Sergeant-at-Arms is an important step forward for this institution & our nation pic.twitter.com/M9tvike0EK

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 26, 2021

Before being tapped for this position, Walker served as the 23rd Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard. According to the Grio, he held this position on January 6, when rioters stormed the Capitol in a deadly insurrection and testified about the delay in response. 

Walker also served as the Chairman of the National Guard Bureau’s Joint Diversity Executive Council and spent more than 30 years working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 

He has degrees from the University of Illinois, Chicago, Chicago State University, the National Intelligence Univerity and American University. 

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