Then she revealed the cornerstone of her vision: “First, we need a savings bank,” she said. Two years later, she opened St. Luke Hall, an office building in Richmond’s Jackson Ward that eventually housed her private office, the Order’s vault, and a printing press for her newspaper, The St. Luke Herald. “Through all of the work that she did, it was Black women who were in the offices,” her great-granddaughter Liza Mickens says. Desk Set: Walker established the St. Luke bank to give Black woman career paths beyond domestic housework and menial labor. The store was primarily staffed by Black women, featured Black mannequins and allowed Black customers to enter through the front door.

Source: Forbes March 20, 2021 09:56 UTC