One of the role models for Africans living in the diaspora is Maggie Walker, the first African American to charter a Bank and serve as the Bank President. Maggie demonstrated to African American people that they could break the barriers and become leaders in business, politics, and education, especially, during times when racism was at its peak. Maggie was a businesswoman and a teacher. She taught for only three years until her marriage when she had to give up her teaching career according to Lancasterian School policy where she carried out her practice. From 1886, Walker devoted her life to the Independent Order of St. Luke. While there, she established the Juvenile Branch of the Order in 1895, published a newspaper called St. Luke Herald in 1902, and a little later on chartered the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank where she served as its President. Her life, however, took an abrupt and unfortunate turn on June 20, 1914. Her son, Russell Walker, at age 25, shot and killed his father after mistaking him for a burglar who had broken into their home. Russell was arrested and charged with murder but was later declared innocent after five months of awaiting trial. Sadly, the loss left Maggie highly depressed and this threw her into a fight with alcoholism in which she lost her life on November 23, 1923. In 1926 at the chapter's first meeting, Walker was inducted as an Honorary Member of the Nu Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Who would you love to read about next week? Feel free to let us know!