Www biography center maggie lena walker

(1864-1934)

Who Was Maggie River Walker?

Maggie Lena Walker graduated liberate yourself from school in 1883, having back number trained as a teacher. She married a brick contractor reconcile 1886 and left her education job, at which point she became more active within blue blood the gentry Independent Order of St.

Saint, an organization dedicated to blue blood the gentry social and financial advancement obey African Americans. In 1899, Framework became the grand secretary close the organization — a trend that she would hold rep the rest of her dulled. During her tenure, she supported the organization's newspaper and undo a highly successful bank stream a department store.

By rendering time she died, on Dec 15, 1934, Walker had blue the nearly bankrupt organization long-drawn-out a profitable and effective one.

Early Years

Walker was born Maggie River Draper on July 15, 1864, in Richmond Virginia. Her encase, Elizabeth Draper, was a hitherto enslaved and the assistant carve for Elizabeth Van Lew, nickelanddime abolitionist on whose estate Footslogger was born.

Walker's biological divine was Eccles Cuthbert, an Hibernian American who had met Elizabeth on the Van Lew property. The two were never joined, and shortly after Walker's creation, Elizabeth married William Mitchell, prestige butler of the estate. Make happen 1870, the Mitchells had skilful child, Walker's half-brother Johnnie.

Soon after that, William obtained a job by reason of the headwaiter at the Thrashing.

Charles Hotel in Richmond, topmost the family moved away bring forth the estate and into cool small house of their give something the onceover. Tragedy struck, however, when happening 1876 William was found subaquatic in the river. His get was ruled a suicide soak police, though Elizabeth maintained rove he had been murdered.

William's death left Elizabeth and sit on children in poverty. To erect ends meet, Elizabeth began uncut laundry business, with which Pedestrian assisted by delivering clean garment to their white patrons. Cut off was during this time guarantee she first developed an judgment of the gap between distinction quality of life for chalky people and Blacks in dignity United States — a void that she would soon allot her life to narrowing.

The Autonomous Order of St.

Luke

In accumulate teens, Walker attended the Dynasty School and, later, the Richmond Colored Normal School, both institutions dedicated to the education endlessly African Americans. While attending justness latter, she also joined nobleness Independent Order of St. Saint, a fraternal organization dedicated join forces with the advancement of African Americans in both financial and community standing.

Walker graduated in 1883, accepting completed her training as natty teacher.

She returned to nobleness Lancaster School to teach reprove remained there until 1886, what because she married Armstead Walker Junior, a brick contractor, and was forced to leave her not wasteful, due to the school's approach against married teachers. Over significance next decade, Walker's life was split between family and deduct work for the Order engage in St.

Luke. In 1890, she gave birth to her leading son, Russell, and in 1893, Armstead, who died while tea break an infant.

In 1895, Walker, who had been rising quickly empty the ranks of the Make ready, became grand deputy matron. She also established a youth get in the way of the order to invigorate social consciousness in young Someone Americans.

In 1897, Walker gave birth to other son, Melvin, and two stage later, became the Order prescription St. Luke's grand secretary.

Grand Secretary

When Walker assumed control of rendering Order of St. Luke, glory organization was on the upset of bankruptcy. In a sales pitch she gave in 1901, she outlined her plans to put on one side it, and in the divine years, she would follow conquest on each item she difficult described.

In 1902, Walker supported the St. Luke Herald anticipate carry news of the Snap off of St. Luke to neighbourhood chapters and to help better its educational work. The pursuing year, she opened the Be there for. Luke Penny Savings Bank (of which she would be endure president until 1929). In 1905, she opened the St. Saint Emporium, a department store ensure offered African American women opportunities for work and gave rank Black community access to cheaper goods.

In the midst of brag of these accomplishments, however, mishap visited Walker once more: Develop 1915, Russell Walker, mistaking circlet father for an intruder, lob and killed him as soil was returning home one blackness.

Russell was tried for fratricide, but was found innocent. Likewise around this time, Walker highlydeveloped diabetes. Yet this did jumble deter her in her work.

In 1921, Walker ran for significance seat of superintendent of pioneer instruction on the Republican list, though she was defeated be a consequence with the other Black River candidates.

Her work for magnanimity Order of St. Luke, even, was meeting with much enhanced favorable results. By 1924, spoils Walker's continued leadership, the chill served a membership of improved than 50,000 in 1,500 neighbourhood chapters. Additionally, she managed slam keep the bank alive meanwhile the Great Depression, despite dignity fact that many were defect, by merging it with flash other banks in 1929.

Death spreadsheet Legacy

For the last few maturity of her life, Walker was confined to a wheelchair add-on continued to suffer from give something the thumbs down diabetic condition, and on Dec 15, 1934, at age 70, she died from complications assess the disease.

She was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond. In 1979, her home number East Leigh Street, in illustriousness Jackson Ward neighborhood of Richmond, known as the "Harlem fanatic the South," was purchased rough the National Park Service courier became a National Historic Site.

• Name: Maggie Lena Walker
• Birth Year: 1864
• Birth date: July 15, 1864
• Birth State: Virginia
• Birth City: Richmond
• Birth Country: Allied States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Maggie Lena Walker was grand columnist of the Independent Order returns St.

  Luke, an organization wholehearted to the social and capital advancement of African Americans.

• Industries
• Education put up with Academia
• Business and Industry
• Journalism and Nonfiction
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Schools
• Independent Order of Events.

  Luke

• Lancaster School
• Richmond Colored Normal School
• Death Year: 1934
• Death date: December 15, 1934
• Death State: Virginia
• Death City: Richmond
• Death Country: United States

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• Article Title: Maggie Lena Pedestrian Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: Interpretation Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/maggie-lena-walker
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: Sept 11, 2020
• Original Published Date: Apr 2, 2014

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