15/12/2021
in 1934, Maggie L. Walker passed away at her home in Richmond, Virginia. In the days and weeks that followed testimonials praising Walker's life and accomplishments poured in from around the country, coinciding with local newspaper coverage that did much the same. The following is a notable excerpt from Richmond's leading white newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, that appeared just three days after Walker's death:
"The passing of Mrs. Maggie L. Walker removes from the scene one of the greatest Negro leaders in America, and probably the foremost member of the colored race ever born in Virginia, with the single exception of Booker T. Washington....Mrs. Walker was an important influence in the upbuilding of her race, a sane counsellor in time of stress, a wise and successful business executive, a generous-hearted contributor to charitable causes, and a wholesome influence in in*******al relationships. She was so quiet and unobtrusive in manner, that many Richmonders were perhaps unaware that she was a national figure, an outstanding Negro leader whose career was an inspiration to the members of her race from coast to coast....Her death following a protracted illness in which she bore her sufferings with notable fortitude, leaves a gap in the ranks of American Negro leadership which can be filled only with difficulty. Certainly here in Richmond there is no one at the moment who can replace her. She was sui generis."
