by Black Enterprise

July 15, 2026

Walker was a visionary entrepreneur

Maggie Lena Walker was born July 15, 1964. Walker was a visionary entrepreneur, civil rights advocate, and community organizer in Richmond, Virginia. Honored by the National Women’s History Museum, she is celebrated as the first African American woman to charter and serve as president of a U.S. bank, using financial empowerment to champion civil rights.

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