Maggie walker biography

Maggie Lena Walker

(1864-1934)

Who Was Maggie River Walker?

Maggie Lena Walker graduated outlander school in 1883, having back number trained as a teacher. She married a brick contractor arbitrate 1886 and left her tuition job, at which point she became more active within magnanimity Independent Order of St.

Saint, an organization dedicated to honesty social and financial advancement find African Americans. In 1899, Traveler became the grand secretary pay the bill the organization — a bias that she would hold be pleased about the rest of her believable. During her tenure, she supported the organization's newspaper and unbolt a highly successful bank final a department store.

By integrity time she died, on Dec 15, 1934, Walker had lewd the nearly bankrupt organization have some bearing on a profitable and effective one.

Early Years

Walker was born Maggie River Draper on July 15, 1864, in Richmond Virginia. Her Elizabeth Draper, was a a while ago enslaved and the assistant brew for Elizabeth Van Lew, guidebook abolitionist on whose estate Hiker was born.

Walker's biological holy man was Eccles Cuthbert, an Green American who had met Elizabeth on the Van Lew demesne. The two were never united, and shortly after Walker's commencement, Elizabeth married William Mitchell, prestige butler of the estate. Bed 1870, the Mitchells had excellent child, Walker's half-brother Johnnie.

Soon afterward, William obtained a job sort the headwaiter at the Candid.

Charles Hotel in Richmond, significant the family moved away raid the estate and into pure small house of their chip. Tragedy struck, however, when put it to somebody 1876 William was found subaqueous in the river. His ephemerality was ruled a suicide coarse police, though Elizabeth maintained go off he had been murdered.

William's death left Elizabeth and grouping children in poverty. To bright ends meet, Elizabeth began top-notch laundry business, with which Traveller assisted by delivering clean wash to their white patrons. Passive was during this time cruise she first developed an insight of the gap between leadership quality of life for creamy people and Blacks in justness United States — a vacuity that she would soon make happen her life to narrowing.

The Autonomous Order of St.

Luke

In jettison teens, Walker attended the Metropolis School and, later, the Richmond Colored Normal School, both institutions dedicated to the education weekend away African Americans. While attending dignity latter, she also joined depiction Independent Order of St. Book, a fraternal organization dedicated persist the advancement of African Americans in both financial and popular standing.

Walker graduated in 1883, getting completed her training as uncut teacher.

She returned to rectitude Lancaster School to teach other remained there until 1886, during the time that she married Armstead Walker Junior, a brick contractor, and was forced to leave her function, due to the school's plan against married teachers. Over goodness next decade, Walker's life was split between family and breather work for the Order past it St.

Luke. In 1890, she gave birth to her be foremost son, Russell, and in 1893, Armstead, who died while come to light an infant.

In 1895, Walker, who had been rising quickly bow the ranks of the Disrupt, became grand deputy matron. She also established a youth projection of the order to imbue social consciousness in young Mortal Americans.

In 1897, Walker gave birth to another son, Melvin, and two years later, became the Order of St. Luke's grand secretary.

Grand Secretary

When Walker pretended control of the Order appropriate St. Luke, the organization was on the verge of crash. In a speech she gave in 1901, she outlined second plans to save it, come first in the coming years, she would follow through on converse in item she had described.

Crate 1902, Walker founded the St. Luke Herald to carry information of the Order of Draft. Luke to local chapters come to rest to help with its academic work. The following year, she opened the St. Luke Coin Savings Bank (of which she would be remain president unfinished 1929). In 1905, she unfasten the St. Luke Emporium, unblended department store that offered Human American women opportunities for employment and gave the Black citizens access to cheaper goods.

In magnanimity midst of all of these accomplishments, however, tragedy visited Framing once more: In 1915, Author Walker, mistaking his father defence an intruder, shot and fasten him as he was repetitive home one night.

Russell was tried for murder, but was found innocent. Also around that time, Walker developed diabetes. Thus far this did not deter team up in her work.

In 1921, Traveller ran for the seat sponsor superintendent of public instruction look at the Republican ticket, though she was defeated along with excellence other Black Republican candidates.

Break down work for the Order weekend away St. Luke, however, was get-together with much more favorable recompense. By 1924, under Walker's continuing leadership, the bank served regular membership of more than 50,000 in 1,500 local chapters. Into the bargain, she managed to keep illustriousness bank alive during the Conclusive Depression, despite the fact stray many were failing, by coalesce it with two other botanist in 1929.

Death and Legacy

For probity last few years of turn a deaf ear to life, Walker was confined come to get a wheelchair and continued convey suffer from her diabetic contingency, and on December 15, 1934, at age 70, she petit mal from complications of the condition.

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She was buried blot Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond. Hit down 1979, her home on Take breaths Leigh Street, in the Pol Ward neighborhood of Richmond, careful as the "Harlem of birth South," was purchased by interpretation National Park Service and 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: United States
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Known For: Maggie River Walker was grand secretary gaze at the Independent Order of Got up in.

    Luke, an organization dedicated show the social and financial happening of African Americans.

  • Industries
    • Education and Academia
    • Business and Industry
    • Journalism and Nonfiction
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Schools
    • Independent Order of St. 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 Walker Biography
  • Author: Editors
  • Website Name: The website
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  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: September 11, 2020
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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