SEARCH SITE
VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL
- Code of Virginia
- Virginia Administrative Code
- Constitution of Virginia
- Charters
- Authorities
- Compacts
- Uncodified Acts
- RIS Users (account required)
SEARCHABLE DATABASES
- Bills & Resolutions
session legislation - Bill Summaries
session summaries - Reports to the General Assembly
House and Senate documents - Legislative Liaisons
State agency contacts
ACROSS SESSIONS
- Subject Index: Since 1995
- Bills & Resolutions: Since 1994
- Summaries: Since 1994
Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
2022 SESSION
22104922DWHEREAS, the Maggie L. Walker Statue and Plaza, the result of a decades-long campaign to honor the life and legacy of Maggie L. Walker, serves as a unique monument to the advancements and achievements of women and members of the Black community in Richmond; and
WHEREAS, Maggie Walker touched countless lives through her roles as an entrepreneur, educator, and trailblazing leader in banking; as the founder of St. Luke’s Penny Savings Bank, she became the first woman in the United States to charter and serve as president of a bank; and
WHEREAS, Maggie Walker also served on the boards of many community organizations, such as the National Association of Colored Women and the Virginia Industrial School for girls, was the vice president of the Richmond branch of the NAACP, and established a local newspaper, the St. Luke Herald; and
WHEREAS, soon after Maggie Walker’s death in 1934, concepts were developed for a monument honoring her life and legacy, however these efforts gained little traction until the late 1990s after the placement of the Arthur Ashe Monument; and
WHEREAS, thanks in large part to the determined advocacy of the Richmond Public Arts Commission, the Richmond Planning Commission approved the construction of the Maggie L. Walker Statue and Plaza in 2016; and
WHEREAS, the10-foot tall bronze statue of Maggie Walker was designed by Maryland-based artist Tobias Mendez and features low-relief panels depicting her myriad contributions to the community, while the surrounding plaza was completed by the engineering firm VHB of Boston and incorporates benches adorned with important dates and events from her life; and
WHEREAS, the Maggie L. Walker Statue and Plaza serves as a gateway to the Jackson Ward, one of Richmond’s most prominent historically Black neighborhoods, which is also the location of the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site at her former residence; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the Maggie L. Walker Statue and Plaza hereby be commended for its contributions to historical interpretation and cultural life in Richmond; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Richmond Public Arts Commission as an expression of the Senate of Virginia’s appreciation for the importance of the Maggie L. Walker Statue and Plaza.