RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond icon Maggie Lena Walker, a trailblazing force for women and African-Americans, is being honored during Black History Month at the historic site she called home.
Walker was the first woman to open a bank in the United States in 1903. She was also a civil rights pioneer, entrepreneur and mother who pushed for economic empowerment and independence in her neighborhood.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, something Walker also fought hard for in Richmond.
“But it still had the limits on it and that is why Maggie Walker was so adamant about standing up for women’s rights, for black women’s rights so they could have the full vote, full voice within the communities,” Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site Park Ranger Ajena Cason-Rogers said.
Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site Park Ranger Ajena Cason-Rogers
The Maggie Walker National Historic Site will be hosting "Matinees with Miss Maggie," featuring two new films about African American men and women and the right to vote, this February.
A bronze 10-foot statue has been standing at with intersection of East Broad and Adams streets since 2017 near Walker's Leigh Street home.
Click here to visit the National Park Service’s website for more details and to find out how you can tour Walker's home.
