At the beginning of the twentieth century, women were relegated to second class citizenship, their legal and social standing fundamentally tied to their marital status. Black people, only one generation emancipated from slavery, were faced with the everyday reality of lynchings, unemployment, and oppression. In a society deeply divided by race, sex and class, black women in the early 1900's were the most vulnerable population of all. It was against this historical backdrop that Maggie Lena Walker, a black woman, became the first female bank president in U.S. history. Let that sink in for a minute.
In the thick of the Jim Crow Era, at a time when survival was the hallmark of the African-American experience, Walker chartered a bank, started a newspaper, ran a nationwide insurance company and a department store. This at a time when white women struggled with marginalization. Even as the majority of her contemporaries were relegated to domestic and field work, Walker was creating opportunities for black people and women. How did she do it? How did this black woman manage to buck the multi-layered institutional guards of oppression, to build a business empire in Richmond, VA?
Until recently, the story of this hidden figure of American history went largely untold, but thanks to a group of student researchers at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia we are getting closer to answering that question. According to a story published in the Washington Post, while exploring the attic of Walker's historic St. Luke Penny Savings Bank building, they discovered about 30 boxes filled with old documents including business and personal letters detailing previously unknown details about Walker's personal life. The documents give deep insight into how Walker navigated the challenges of race, gender, and discrimination.
"Walker’s papers help with “understanding the role of black women as community builders and organizers,” said Stephanie Toothman, associate director for cultural resources at the NPS. Walker's family, who own the papers, are undecided on where the papers will end up. Some members want to donate them to the Park Service and others favor the Smithsonian. For now, they’re in storage. One thing is for sure, Maggie L. Walker will no longer be a hidden figure of American history.
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