Uncovering the Legacy of Maggie Lena Walker

Uncovering the legacy of Maggie Lena Walker is easier today than when I was in school.

Mrs. Walker was an accomplished businesswoman and activist, who left a remarkable legacy of success. She was a newspaper publisher, bank founder, an active community leader, and a dedicated family woman.

At a time and in a segregated place, Richmond, VA, this African American woman achieved breakthroughs beyond any reasonable expectation for herself and her community.

Establishing a financial institution.

There is debate about her status as the nation’s first female bank president. There is little debate regarding her being the first woman to single-handedly charter a bank—the handful of women who preceded her as bank presidents ascended to their positions at existing banks or formed them with male counterparts.

In 1903, she founded the St. Luke Penny & Savings Bank from an idea she floated in a 1901 speech.

February 8, 2023 5 Comments

Categories: History

History-Making Women

Images of historical black and women: Elizabeth Jennings, Frances Glessner-Lee, Maggie Lena Walker, and Augusta Holmes.

Overlooked History-Making Women

With the approach of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, we’re taking the opportunity to offer history-making women that should be celebrated throughout the year.

Too often suggested subject lists are decades old and do not reflect the wide range of accomplishments of women throughout history and in varied fields.

We’re providing brief introductions to historic females often omitted from the discussion.

If you are intrigued and want to learn more, use the links provided at the end as a springboard for your research to learn more about these history-making women.

January 9, 2023 Image No Comments

Categories: History