Maggie Lena Walker's childhood in 19th-century Virginia helping her mother with her laundry service opened her eyes to the discrepancy between the Black residents and her mother's affluent white clients. She vowed to not only secure the same kind of home and finery for herself, but she would also help others in her community achieve the same. Maggie buckled down and went from schoolteacher to secretary-treasurer of the Independent Order of St. Luke, founder of a newspaper, a bank, and a department store. With the help of influential friends like W.E.B. DuBois and Mary McLeod, she revolutionized Richmond in ways that are still felt today.