Julie Walker designs sports for the Detroit News, but her background is steeped in writing and storytelling. During her 14-year journalism career, she has written and/or edited for five Michigan newspapers, including Downriver’s The News-Herald, the Dearborn Press & Guide and the Oakland Press. She has won awards for reporting and design work. A Garden City native, Julie earned her bachelor’s degree in communications/print journalism from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2007. In 2018, she earned a master’s degree in Liberal and Interdisciplinary studies from UM-Dearborn. For it, she crafted her master’s thesis around a years-long study of Detroit’s hip-hop scene, while also studying systemic racism and race-related issues in metro Detroit. Her work earned multiple research grants and helped amplify Black voices and stories in the music scene and beyond. After temporary and part-time stints starting in 2012, Julie has worked full-time at the News since 2016. Julie rounds out design duties with copy editing and occasional bylines. She’s raising a feisty, almost-10-year-old son, volunteers with youth sports and is a fantasy football fanatic.