Day 158: Heart and Soul

Maggie Walker was born in Richmond, Va., just as slavery was coming to an end. But as she grew and matured, she realized that some aspects of slavery, especially for black women, were alive and well. The only jobs available to them were house servant, laundress, or tobacco sorter. Through years of involvement in benevolent organizations, Mrs. Walker put her solid education (completion of a teaching program and business classes) to use, teaching in schools and creating opportunities for women to develop business skills. She helped bring the Order of St. Luke's, a charity created to provide black people with funds for a proper burial, to a place of solvency and saw it grow from 4,000 members to more than 100,000. As its director, she also launched a bank under its auspices, becoming the first African-American women to serve as both a CEO and a bank president.

Walker's efforts helped freed slaves move from a position of abject poverty and helplessness to one that was grounded on useful skillsets and the financial backing of a close-knit community. She advocated that education and opportunities for blacks should be equal to that available to southern whites, as they all struggled to move beyond the ravages of the Civil War. The national park service's recognition of Maggie L. Walker is done through engaging exhibits and a tour of her stately home. It was one of just a handful of homes in Richmond that contained an elevator; she was paralyzed in later years, a complication of diabetes. I'm sure there is much in today's culture that would dishearten Mrs. Walker...the struggles that so many African-Americans continue to face. But I like to think there is even more that would please her. She was not one to look for, or even want, a hand out. She believed that hard work and responsibility were the only means by which opportunity could be attained. Her life proved that to be true.

Our next stop, to the Richmond Battlefield Visitor Center, transported us back to the years just prior to Mrs. Walker's birth, when the city was the epicenter of the Confederate States of America. Richmond was the South's capitol, as well as a main hub of rail, industry, weapons manufacturing and medical care. Because it was the South's heart, it also was the number-one target of the Union Army. Although many battles were fought on its outskirts, the city itself was never bombarded. However, it was under constant fire of another kind: the city absorbed thousands of people--refugees, wounded, nurses, surgeons. Food was scarce in the countryside; in the city, conditions were much worse. As the city was evacuated ahead of the Union Army, in early April 1865, the Confederates torched their military positions and stores. Before long, the entire center of the city was ablaze; much of it burned to the ground.

Richmond contained more than 100 hospitals, many set up in private homes and funded by the homeowners. The largest hospital, Chimborazo, sat on a hill overlooking downtown Richmond. More than 75,000 soldiers passed through its wards, and its staff was known to be deeply committed to saving lives and providing the best care possible. Considering how little was known or understood about bacteria and infection, the hospital's death rate was surprisingly small...much better than the southern army's overall struggle with health-related death: more than twice the number of Confederate soldiers died by infection as were killed in battle by guns or explosions.

Our day was one of inspiration, learning about the launch of African-American capitalism. We also gained an appreciation of Richmond's significance as the heart of the Confederacy...the good, the bad, and the horrible. But all that we'd learned was temporarily lost in the fun of greeting "Granny" at the airport. :-)

Photos:
(1) the home of Maggie L. Walker, now owned by the National Park Service
(2-3) hard at work on the junior ranger books at the Richmond Battlefield Visitor Center. The wonderful ranger who gave us so much of his time today was stationed at Fort Carson (Colo.Spgs.) years ago!
(4) happy reunion