Maggie Walker once said, "I am of the opinion [that] if we can catch the vision, in a few years we shall be able to enjoy the fruits from this effort and its attendant responsibilities, through untold benefits reaped by the youth of the race." Walker was the first American woman--of any race--to be a bank president and inspired Black Americans to become self-sufficient entrepreneurs. In 1902, Walker founded the St. Luke Herald, a Black newspaper serving the Richmond area. Walker also became the first American woman to establish and be appointed as a bank president when she established the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank. By doing so, Walker became the first women in the United States to found a bank. The goal of the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank was to provide loans to members of the community.
Achievements: First American woman to establish and be appointed as a bank president. Established the St. Luke Herald, a local African American newspaper.