Maggie L Walker National Historic Site

Maggie L. Walker

Melvin DeWitt Walker

View recipients of the National Park Service Freeman Tilden Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to the practice of interpretation and education by NPS employees.

While Ajena Rogers has had a variety of roles with the NPS, she became recognized for her expertise as a living history interpreter, portraying the lives of African American women at historic sites. In a 2020 oral history interview with the Park History Program, Rogers speaks of the privilege and burden of this first-person technique, experiencing racial dynamics of both past and present, and the family history that she carries forward.

The history of women bank presidents spans across the United States. For many years, Maggie L. Walker was believed to be the first women bank president in the United States, but a few other women successfully ran banks before her and their history is captured here to explore.

The Independent Order of St. Luke was a Black fraternal order led by Maggie L. Walker. The IOSL became the main body through which Maggie L. Walker rose to national prominence as a bank leader, community advocate and civil rights activist.

Maggie L. Walker led the African American community of Richmond, Virginia, in many aspects. She was involved in the struggle for civil rights and maintained her successful banking and newspaper businesses and charitable societies.

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment the National Park Service has developed a number of special programs. This includes online content, exhibits, and special events. The National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems (CRGIS) announces the release of a story map that highlights some of these programs and provides information for the public to locate and participate.

Women’s history is found in more than 400 national parks across the country and still being made today. National parks come in many different shapes, sizes, naming designations, and reasons for being created. Explore national parks that were created and named in honor of specific women and take a closer look at these women’s lasting legacy on American history.

U.S. national parks have long relied on question-based surveys to capture snapshots of who visitors are and what they like to do. Data from mobile devices provide a complementary, park-wide perspective not previously available.