National Park Service to celebrate Maggie L. Walker’s 161st birthday

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The National Park Service is honoring the late Maggie Lena Walker, a pioneering Black banker and community leader, as July marks her 161st birthday.

According to a release, the public is invited to experience multiple community events, including community events, volunteer service, special tours and exhibitions commemorating her life and legacy, from July 11 to July 20.

Just days before Walker's birthday, on Friday, July 11, the celebration will include house tours and kids activities as Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, which will highlight her "passion for supporting her community as a labor of love through her family, employees and faith," according to a release.

Kids’ activities and crafts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will honor the 130th anniversary of the Independent Order of St. Luke’s Juvenile Department, which Walker founded in 1895. House tours will be offered at regularly scheduled times: 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, with a maximum capacity of 10 participants.

Walker's 161st birthday is Tuesday, July 15, and park rangers will offer a Jackson Ward walking tour, meeting at the Maggie Lena Walker Memorial Plaza at 9:30 a.m.

On Saturday, July 19, Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities will lead a “Maggie Walker Day of Service,” showcasing various community projects in the neighborhood. The National Park Service said volunteers can line up at 8 a.m. that day in the courtyard of the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site at 600 N. 2nd Street.

The following is a list of the community partner events:

• Evergreen Cemetery Clean Up:
  • From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, at the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, located at 50 Evergreen Road
• House to Highway: Reclaiming a Community History:
  • Tuesday, July 15, at the Library of Virginia at 800 E. Broad St.
• Maggie Walker Bus Tour with Gary Flowers:
  • From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, at St. Luke Legacy Center, located at 900 St. James Street Suite 100.
• Maggie Walker’s Day of Service:
  • Saturday, July 19, at Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, located at 600 N. Second St.

According to a release, registration is required for the Maggie Walker Bus Tour with Gary Flowers and Maggie Walker’s Day of Service, and you can sign up by clicking here.

For more information about how the National Park Service will commemorate Walker's 161st birthday, click here.