Why Maggie's Namesake?

About Maggie L. Walker

Maggie Lena Walker (1864 – 1934) was the first woman of color to establish a bank in the United States. She was a community and business leader in Richmond, and her efforts to create and manage the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank left a powerful legacy for black families in the city. The bank was an effort to utilize African-American financial resources for the good of the community, providing fairly priced loans and mortgages to black families and empowering them to own homes, open businesses, and create economic opportunities for themselves and future generations. The Maggie Walker Community Land Trust is named to honor a visionary leader and her legacy in the city of Richmond. In her name, we work to ensure that the communities of the Richmond metropolitan region are diverse and inclusive, with safe, attractive, affordable, and sustainable housing choices for all people. To learn more about Maggie Walker’s life and legacy, visit the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in Jackson Ward (nps.gov/mawa/index.htm).