Black history fact #13: Maggie Lena Walker

What's going on, everybody. Welcome to another episode of a day with crime, black history fact edition. Of course I am your man, David. Let's jump in. Today. We're going to talk to you about the first. African American woman. To charter a bank. That would be Maggie Lena Walker. 

Maggie Lena Walker Was the daughter of a former slave and cook. She was the first woman to charter a bank in United States in 1902. [00:01:00] The bank offered loans and mortgages to black residents of Richmond, Virginia, who were otherwise denied service. By white owned banks. A year later, she started a department store allowing black customers. 

To shout with dignity. To enter through the main doors instead of a side entrance. To try on clothing before buying, and to eat at lunch counters, her store display clothing on brown skinned mannequins. And hired exclusively black women to work as clerks. Later the same year, Walker utilized her newspaper to urge Brisbane residents to boycott the city segregated street car system. 

The boycott was so effective. The company operating the street cars, declare bankruptcy. Two months later. 

All right, so let's talk a little bit more. About Maggie Lena Walker. 

 She was born [00:02:00] July 15th, 1864. 

So, not only was he the first African American woman to charter a bank. She also was the first African American woman to serve as a bank president. As a leader. Maggie achieved successes with the vision to make tangible improvements in the way of life, for African-Americans. Disabled by paralysis, and a wheelchair user later in life, 

Maggie also became an example for people with disabilities. Maggie's restored and furnished home in the historic Jackson ward. Neighborhood originally Virginia has been designated a national historic site. Operated by the national parks service. 

 According to biographical materials, she supplied. Maggie Walker was born as Maggie, Lena Draper in Richmond, Virginia to equalise Kurth bird and Elizabeth [00:03:00] Draper. Two years and two months after the end of the American civil war. 

Since this is information, as well as a diary passage saying that she was four years old. On her, mother's wedding in may of 1868, with William Mitchell said the date back to 1864 or 1865. Her mother was a former slave and an assistant cook in the Churchill mansion of Elizabeth van Lew. Who had been a spy in the Confederate capital city of Richmond for the union during the war, 

and was later postmaster for Richmond. Her stepfather was a Butler and her biological father was an Irish born Confederate soldier and a post-war writer for the New York Herald. The Mitchell family moved to their own home on college alley off of broad street nearby Ms. Van Lou's home. 

We're Maggie and her brother, Johnny we're raised. The house was near the first African [00:04:00] Baptist church, which like many black churches at the time, was an economic, political and social center for the local black community. After the untimely death of William Mitchell. Maggie's mother supported her family by working as the laundries. 

Young Maggie attended the newly formed Brisbane public schools. And helped her mother by delivering the clean clothes. 

So when she was 14 years old, Maggie joined the local council of the independent order of St. Luke. This fraternal burial society established in 1867 in Baltimore, Maryland. Ministered to the sick and aids. For motor humanitarianism causes and encourage individual self-help and integrity. She served in numerous capacities of increasing responsibility for the order, from that of a delegate to the biannual convention, to the top leadership position. 

Of right worthy grand [00:05:00] secretary in 1899. The position she held until she died. Maggie was inducted as an honorary member of the new chapter of Zeta Phi beta sorority at the chapter's first meeting in 1926. After leaving her teaching position in 1886. Maggie devoted herself to the order and rose steadily through it's ranks, a pioneering insurance executive finance year and civic icon. 

She established the juvenile branch of the order in 1895. While serving as grand deputy matron. This branch encourage education, community service and thrift and young members in 1902, she published the newspaper for the organization. The St. Luke Harold, shortly after she chartered the St. Luke penny savings bank. 

 Maggie served as the bank's first president, which earned her the recognition of being the first African [00:06:00] American woman to charter a bank in the United States. Charles Thaddeus Russell. Was Richmond's first black architect and he designed the building for Walker, the St. Luke penny savings, banks leadership also included several female board members. 

Later Walker agreed to serve as chairman of the board of directors. And the bank merged with two other Richmond banks to become the consolidated bank and trust company, which grew to serve generations of Richmonders as an African-American owned institution. In 1905. Walker was featured alongside other African-American leaders, such as Mary Church Terrail, 

T. Thomas Fortune and George Washington Carver. in a poster titled 101 prominent colored people. Maggie received an honorary master's degree from Virginia Union University, in 1925, and was [00:07:00] inducted into the junior achievement US business hall of fame, in 2001. Maggie's social change activities with the independent order of St. Luke demonstrated her keen consciousness of oppression and her dedication to challenge racial and gender injustices. 

Now, unfortunately Maggie Lena Walker did pass on December 15th, 1934. She was 70 years old. It does not state what she passed from. Just a few things about her legacy and what was built in her honor. 

 In Maggie's honor. Richmond public schools built a large brick high school adjacent to Virginia union university. Which is the Maggie L Walker high school. 

Was one of two schools in the area for black students during the Jim Crow era. The other was Armstrong high school. Generations [00:08:00] of students spent their high school years at the school. It was totally refurbished to reopen in 2001 as the regional Maggie L Walker governor's school for government and international studies. 

 The national park service operates the Maggie L Walker national historic site. At her former Jackson ward home. In 1978, the house was designated a national historic site and was opened as a museum in 1985. The site stays that it commemorates the life of a progressive, intelligent African-American woman. She achieved success in the world of business and finance as the first woman in the United States to charter and serve as president of a bank, despite the mini adversities. 

 It does include a visitors center. That detail's her life. 

Also she was honored in 2000. As one of the first group of Virginia women in history. In [00:09:00] 2017, the statue of Maggie was designed by Antonio Tobias Mendez.. And it was unveiled at the Maggie L Walker Memorial Plaza on broad street. In Richmond, it is a bronze 10 foot statue, which shows a depiction of how she lived with her glasses, pinned to her lapel. 

And a checkbook in her hand. In 2020 Walker was one of the eight women featured in the only one in the room display. At the Smithsonian national museum. Of American history. All right, guys, we'll leave the rest of that down for you in the description. 

Maggie L Walker, not only the first African-American woman to charter a bank and to president one, but she was also the first woman, to be able to hold that position. So once again, another great pioneer, Ms. Maggie. L Walker breaking the glass ceiling, not only for [00:10:00] African-American women. But for women in general. Wishing to whole such prestigious titles, that usually are held by men. 

All right, guys that does with this. And I thank you for tuning in to yet another black history fact here. Join me tomorrow, I have another one for you. 

As always need to get ahold of us, feel free to drop a line. At a day with crime@gmail.com. Also, don't forget to visit the website, www.adaywithcrime.com. It is your one stop shop for everything that is a day with crime. Alright guys, as always be safe all there and be good to yourself. and each other. And I'm going to catch you guys on the next one.