1 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie, and you're listening to stuff I'll 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: never told you. And this is a very special bonus 3 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: episode and the first of a bonus segment about first. 4 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: So this is pretty exciting. And to help me with 5 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: this very special, super bonus packed episode is my good 6 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: friend and co worker Eves. So let's get to it. 7 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: So now we are joined by a good friend of 8 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: mine and co worker Eves. It's good to see you again. Yes, 9 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,959 Speaker 1: you've heard from Eves on episode we did around um 10 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: Invisible Disability, and we're going to do this segment that 11 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: we hope will be a regular segment about female First. 12 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: And we spent a decent, not embarrassing amount of time 13 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: trying to come up with an acronym for it because 14 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: I love doing ridiculous acronyms allah shield from Marvel movies. 15 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: So right now we're working with female first empower. Well 16 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: we'll get there, we'll get there. You know this has 17 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: to be done, though, we're not giving no, no, no, 18 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: please right in with your your suggestions. I actually came 19 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: up with one of these for the other podcast I 20 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: do and like no one will get on board with it. 21 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: I'm like, it's time for another segment. Of plate and 22 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: they're like Annie. But you can also hear Eaves on 23 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: this Day in History class. And one of the reasons 24 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: I I'm really excited to have you on here is 25 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: because part of doing this show, I've just come to 26 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: realize there's so many women who have done amazing things 27 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: that I'd never heard of, I was never taught about. 28 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: I can say that I've ran into that a lot 29 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: too doing This Day in History class, and I'll just 30 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: get so excited when I found out things about women 31 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: to like, oh my gosh, they did this, they did this. 32 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: Everybody needs to know, you know. So I think even 33 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: if there are people that we know about, maybe we 34 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: don't know everything about them, and then there are people 35 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: that or who we haven't heard of at all. So 36 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: I'm excited to to be able to talk about people 37 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: in history who did amazing things. Yeah, and put a 38 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: spotlight on on women who have either been erased or 39 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: just never gotten the spotlight they deserve. That's something we 40 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: talked about it in our Wikipedia episode of just how 41 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: many women kind of forgotten to time? And Yeah, I'm 42 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: a big, big history nerd, so I uh, I'm very 43 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: happy to to include this and today you have to 44 00:02:56,040 --> 00:03:00,519 Speaker 1: two women who kind of uh that there's a couple 45 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: of similarities, some more important than others. I was, like, 46 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: their names, we'll start with him. Did you go through 47 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: a whole checklist of like similarities and differences. I can 48 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: see you doing that. I do, like, I really do. Yeah. 49 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: I think it's important to talk about them, But I 50 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: want to talk about first first in general, because I 51 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: think there's kind of some I don't know, hesitancy over 52 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: celebrating first Sometimes. I do think it's really important to 53 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: look back in history and see how things started and 54 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,079 Speaker 1: see how they snowballed on from the things that happened 55 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: um in the beginning. Um, Like, things have precedents, they 56 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: don't just come out of nowhere, and I think that 57 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: that can get a little lost sometimes. So it's definitely 58 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: important to recognize the first women, the first black people 59 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: to do this, the first Native American people to do 60 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: things like we haven't today's episode. But um, I think 61 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: that there's an argument to be had about the value 62 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: of first because it kind of is like one of 63 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: those things that sounds really nice, send really pretty on paper. 64 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: But there's definitely an argument to be had about the 65 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: value of first especially when it comes to first when 66 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: they are mixed with like gender and with ethnicity, because 67 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: a lot of the times they'll be a first woman 68 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: to do something and then a first Black woman to 69 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: do something. But a lot of Tom's people weren't recognized 70 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: for the very reason of that ethnicity. So it kind 71 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: of does in a way at times overshadow people's achievements 72 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: in history. So I don't know, how do you feel 73 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: about Do you have any thoughts on that? I think, Um, 74 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: it's kind of like you said, a nice it's a 75 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: nice thing, and it is important because we've talked about 76 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: time and time again, seeing yourself represented directly impacts what 77 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: you think you can do. But at the same time 78 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: it is it's a complex There's like a lot of 79 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: people behind that, right, and a lot of people that 80 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: were probably forgotten. Um. And again going back to Wick Pdia, Um, 81 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 1: there's just so many women. Um are other marginalized people 82 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: that did the thing and then weren't recognized for it. UM. 83 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: So I do think like first are important, but you 84 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 1: should always and I'm just a big proponent of this 85 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: in general, have that context behind it, like why were 86 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: they the first or like were there other people that 87 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: preceded them and made it possible for them to do 88 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: the thing that we're also not recognizing exactly. And the 89 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: way you put it makes me think of how sometimes 90 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: first get shoehorned into things like start adding on a 91 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: bunch of adjectives and qualifiers to make a thing a first, 92 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: like the first days and then the first that and 93 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: the first days and the first Um. We had an 94 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: episode on the same history class on the first jazz recording, 95 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: which was by a band of white men, and we 96 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: know that jazz has history and African American communities, um, 97 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: and it's still a thing of note to talk about. 98 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: We did talk about it, but there's also a history 99 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: behind that first jazz recording and there was a reason 100 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 1: that a white band was the band that got to 101 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: have that recording in the first place. So I just 102 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: want that a weirdness, you know, like just because something 103 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: is the first doesn't mean that there's not another history 104 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: behind it that's just as notable. Yeah, that's it. Um. Yeah, 105 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: So do you want to talk about our first our 106 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: first our first historical guest on the show today, our 107 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: first first historical guest. I like this, And also now 108 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: I'm going to come up with like my own first 109 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: like the first Annie to have a podcast with an e. 110 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: Why doing a first segment with Eve's Wow, You're gonna 111 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: go in history books now for that reason, not all 112 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: the other things I've done specifically this. Yeah, Yeah, let's 113 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: let's get into it. I'm excited to talk about both 114 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: of these women. Yeah. So, um, our first woman is 115 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: Maggie L. Walker. The ellis Brolina. Um. So, I guess 116 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: I want to just set the scene first. So at 117 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:03,359 Speaker 1: the time him, when Maggieleena Walker was alive or just 118 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: in the beginning, UM, women didn't have the vote, and 119 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: she was born right off the back of the Civil 120 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: War essentially, so she was she grew up during their 121 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: reconstruction era, which is an era when President Lincoln began 122 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: planning the reconstruction of the South, and so at this 123 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: time there were many people who were enslaved who were 124 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: newly declared free, so it was a time of major upheaval. 125 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: Like essentially, UM, there were things like black codes, which 126 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: were laws that attempted to undermine black people's freedom, and 127 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: people were desperately trying to hold onto that system of 128 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: slavery at the time, which showed up in things like 129 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: sharecropping and lynch ngs and segregationist policies were also really big. 130 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: These were gym crow laws that we're talking about. So 131 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: but at the same time all of these things were happening, 132 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: Black people were also becoming more involved in the political process, 133 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: and education was playing a huge role in the way 134 00:07:55,880 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: that black people were interacting in the community, and churches 135 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: as well, we're a big part of that. So there 136 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: was it was just a turbulent time basically, and this 137 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: was the period that Maggie Walker lived in. UM, And 138 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: it's I think it's just really cool in general to 139 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: think about women specifically, or Black people specifically who were 140 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: making moves in such a transitional period. UM. That's really inspirational, right, 141 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: I know, Like, don't forget how inspiring that. That's another 142 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: thing that's important about context is like wow, yeah, because 143 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,319 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, like like I think, so I really don't 144 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: want to put these dishes in the dishwasher today, And 145 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: then I'm like, wait a second. Maggie Walker was born 146 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: right after the Civil War ended, and she started it back, 147 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: you know, so I don't know, Yeah, that's another thing 148 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 1: that I like, I like to think about first that 149 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: they're they're really inspirational when you put them in context 150 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: and complain about stupid things like me are not sid 151 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: I mean that is a fair complaint, right. Yeah. The 152 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: first black owned bank that was charter in the United 153 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: States was the Savings Bank of the Grand Fountain United 154 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: Order of True Reformers, a serious name, so you know 155 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: it's serious, UM. And that was founded on March second, 156 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: eight eight, and it opened on April three, eighteen eighty nine. 157 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: So that was the first black own bank that was charter. 158 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: But the first US black on bank that actually opened 159 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: was a Capital Savings Bank, and that opened in d 160 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: C in October eighteen eight. So there was stuff brewing 161 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: before Maggie Walker came along. But in nineteen o three, 162 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: Maggie Lena Walker became the first woman in the US 163 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: to charter and become the president of a bank. So 164 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: she was the first woman period, not just black woman, 165 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: she was black, but she was the first woman in 166 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: the US to charter and become the president. And this 167 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: was in Richmond, Virginia. And I say it like that 168 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 1: because Richmond was once the capital of the Confederacy. UM. 169 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: And it is also an hour away from Charlotte's Ville. Um, 170 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: so you know, just think about the history of this 171 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: place where she was opening a bank. Uh yeah. Yeah. 172 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: When I was researching her, I saw I found two 173 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 1: laws that I thought were really interesting that we're active 174 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: at the time. And one of them was apparently in 175 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: Richmond and probably a lot of other places, but Richmond, 176 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: you couldn't once you got married, you had to say 177 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: goodbye to a job. That what right? Oh man? So 178 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: she when she got married, she had a job as 179 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:33,439 Speaker 1: a teacher. She got married and then he had to 180 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: give it up. Yeah, and she wanted to do big 181 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: and great things. So I guess not that teaching isn't amazing, 182 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: not saying that, but you know, she stayed active like 183 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: her whole life doing things. But yeah, that's that's that 184 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: was a really like wow, that's very specific and what 185 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: a law. Jeez. Yeah, she um, she volunteered a lot, right, 186 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: there was an organization that she volunteered a lot at. Yeah, 187 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: there was. She She ended up being involved in a 188 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: lot of organizations And I'm going to get to a 189 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: list of them later because it's really a mouthful. And 190 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: if you want to come up with an acronym for 191 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 1: all of her organizations that you've been in. I challenged 192 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: you to challenge. I just got really excited about that. 193 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: So I guess I'll go through her background a little 194 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: bit first, like you see how she became this person 195 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: who was so involved in all of these organizations. She 196 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:28,439 Speaker 1: was born in eighteen sixty four in Richmond, Virginia. As 197 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 1: I mentioned earlier, her mother was Elizabeth Draper Mitchell, and 198 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: she was a formerly enslaved assistant cook for Elizabeth Van 199 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 1: Lou who was a union spy, union spy and abolitionists 200 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: who she kind of ensured the education of her servants. 201 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: And Maggie's biological father was an Irish American man that 202 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: her mom had met on the Van Lou estate, so 203 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: the two of them didn't marry, but shortly after Maggie's 204 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: birth she got married. Her mom, Elizabeth got married to 205 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: a man named William Mitchell, who was also at this estate, 206 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: but he was a butler, and William became the head 207 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: waiter at a hotel a little bit later in Richmond, 208 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: but unfortunately he was later found drowned in a river, 209 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: which was a very sad point of you know, a 210 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:18,839 Speaker 1: sad part of Maggie's life because His death was ruled 211 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 1: to suicide, but Maggie believed that he was murdered. Really 212 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 1: sad but at age fourteen, she joined the Independent Order 213 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: of St. Luke's, which was the organization that she became 214 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: a lot more heavily involved in over the course of 215 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 1: her life and actually was until the end of her life. UM. 216 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 1: And at first it was an organization that helped the 217 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: sick and the elderly enrichment. It was a burial society 218 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,199 Speaker 1: at first, and then as it grew and developed, it 219 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: turned into a fraternal order in a life insurance company. UM. 220 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 1: It was a black organization. If I didn't say that already, 221 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 1: I'm not sure. The Order provided financial and social support 222 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: to people, and they did things like lended money to 223 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: people who had financial difficulty and raised money for members 224 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:05,079 Speaker 1: who had health problems. But after Maggie's mom's husband, after 225 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: her husband died, UM, Maggie really began to work with 226 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: her mother to help her out financially. So she helped 227 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: her mother on the laundry business. So she delivered loads 228 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: of clothes to people as part of her mother's laundry business. 229 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: And laundry was one of the few things that black 230 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: women could do at the time that that was accessible 231 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: to the mess work and domestic work in general. And 232 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: I'm sure you know how important domestic work is in 233 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: the history of women. Um So, we'll get to that later, 234 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: but um So, at this time she kind of started 235 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: realizing the social gap between black people and white people 236 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 1: in America. So she went to the Lancaster School, and 237 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: she went to Richmond Colored Normal School, and then after 238 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: she graduated in three she went and she started teaching 239 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: in the public school system, which leads to your point 240 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: right when she gave her her job because she was 241 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: married or she had to give over because um So, 242 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: Maggie was a part of the Independent Order of St. 243 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: Luke's as I said earlier, she started being involved in 244 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: that organization as a teenager and the I s so 245 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,319 Speaker 1: well started providing like these weekly sickness and disability benefits 246 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: and death claims for members beginning in eight which is 247 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: very important because at the time, white owned firms denied 248 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: the black community access to disability and life insurance in 249 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: that gem Crow era, So that was a big deal, 250 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: Like it provided a lot that people didn't have in 251 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: the black community at the time. So over time her 252 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: Maggie's leadership in growing the membership of the organization really 253 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: allowed more payment of death claims and lower costs for premiums. 254 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: So she really helped the organization in that way. And 255 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: Maggie's contributions also contributed to the development of modern African 256 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: American communities that provided services like business and real estate 257 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: financing and education, food and clothing and things like that. 258 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: So that was important at a time when communities, or 259 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: black community specifically, we're building in the United States. And 260 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: so over the course of her life, we'll call it 261 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: the IO s L. That's still kind of hard, but 262 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: the name itself, Independent Order of St. Lukes is also 263 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 1: kind of a mouthful, so we'll call it the IO 264 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: s L. UM. So she did a lot in the 265 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: IO s L over the years of her life. That 266 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: was something that she was heavily involved in, and so 267 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: in she co founded the Juvenile Department at the IO 268 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: s L, which provided leadership opportunities for black children. UM. 269 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: Kids were taught things like financial responsibility, work ethics, and 270 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: hygiene skills UM running the gamut. Here. At one point, 271 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: the order began giving kids mental pocket banks so they 272 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: could fill them with money and then open a savings 273 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: account at the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, which is 274 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: her bank that she found it, which will get you 275 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: a little bit later, and so in she became the 276 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: right worthy Grand Secretary at the Independent Order of St. Luke's. 277 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: And at the time that she became that the Order 278 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: was like it was kind of dwindling, like there were 279 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: only a few thousand members and it was in debt. 280 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: And she really built up the organization to over a 281 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: hundred thousand members in twenty four states, and she made 282 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: it this kind of vehicle of economic empowerment for black 283 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: folks and for women. The Order also collected three point 284 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: five million dollars over the time of her leadership while 285 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: she was there and built up a hundred thousand dollars, yeah, 286 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: built up a hundred thousand dollars in reserve. And she 287 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: held that Grand secretary position until she died. So she 288 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: was committed to the post she was and she also 289 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: employed a lot of black women um at the organization. 290 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: She donated to black schools, especially ones for girls, and 291 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: she wanted women to have the same employment, the same 292 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: professional opportunities that men had, and she wanted girls to 293 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: be able to envision having those kind of opportunities as 294 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: well careers outside of teaching and domestic work. So on 295 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: August nine o one UM, at the annual convention of 296 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: the Order, she called for another Black bank. There were 297 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:23,959 Speaker 1: only about twenty in the US at the time, so 298 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: she said the following She said, first, we need a 299 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 1: savings bank. Let us put our moneys together, let us 300 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: use our moneys. Let us put our money out at 301 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: usury among ourselves and reap the benefit ourselves. Let us 302 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,120 Speaker 1: have a bank that will take the nickels and turn 303 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: them into dollars. So she was really into this idea 304 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 1: of economic empowerment and kind of self help and really 305 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: building up communities in ways like that. So she also 306 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: at the same time, like in nineteen o two, she 307 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: began publishing the St. Luke Harold, the newspaper of the 308 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: Independent Order of St. Luke's, and she used that newspaper too. 309 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: It was distributed to people, but she used to encourage 310 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,919 Speaker 1: black people Enrichmond to establish their own institutions, and by 311 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:11,400 Speaker 1: nineteen sixteen the paper had four thousand subscribers. So as 312 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: we can see, she was just really like, she was 313 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,160 Speaker 1: really innovative and she was really trying all these new 314 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 1: things to get to get things going, and she was 315 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: trying to use this kind of I was gonna say, 316 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,120 Speaker 1: holy trinity. Well she was. She was trying to use 317 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,679 Speaker 1: this trinity of the paper and a department store that 318 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: she later opened up and the bank too create this 319 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: like bustling and thriving part of the black community in Richmond. Right. 320 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: And like we said, this is when things were it 321 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: was reconstruction and things were bidding getting built. Um. Yeah, 322 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: I love that she opened a department store. Yeah, it 323 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,239 Speaker 1: didn't do so hot. Um ended up closing. I think 324 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 1: it opened in nineteen o five and it closed in 325 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:58,679 Speaker 1: nineteen eleven because black people weren't supporting it. Um. And 326 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:00,879 Speaker 1: that's not I know that can sound bad. Well, the 327 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,160 Speaker 1: black people didn't come out to it, and they should 328 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: have done this, but it's kind of like they felt 329 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 1: that pressure at the time from white owned businesses. They 330 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: thought that there would be repercussions for them visiting that 331 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 1: business as well, because white owned businesses and white people 332 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: were pushing back against the store. Because Maggie was trying 333 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: to use it as this place where that would feel 334 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 1: safer for black people to go and would also employ 335 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: a lot more black people, but because they didn't get 336 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 1: to where they needed to be financially, it had to close. Yeah. Yeah, 337 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:35,199 Speaker 1: so things fail sometimes. I don't think that should detract 338 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: us from our missions, do you know? Otherwise I don't 339 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:45,679 Speaker 1: know where i'd be. I'd just be at home. I'm sorry. 340 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: Thank you for that. You know, I don't turn it down. 341 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 1: I'll accept it. I appreciate it. I believe in you, Annie, 342 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: Thank you. I know that that's not what will happen 343 00:19:55,359 --> 00:20:00,160 Speaker 1: with your life. This is not a like hit star 344 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 1: movies or anything that just made me really sad for 345 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: some reason. So there were a lot of racial stereotypes 346 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 1: at the time that discouraged white bankers from loaning money 347 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: to black people, and because they thought that black people 348 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: wouldn't repay the loans, stereotypes like that, and if black 349 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: people were given loans, they were often charged to hire 350 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: rate of interest in white customers. I mean, we don't 351 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: have to get into payday loans and we don't have 352 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 1: to talk about lending practices today, but there are precedents 353 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: for things. Um, a lot of things have been going 354 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 1: on a long time in the United States when it 355 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:39,160 Speaker 1: comes to marginalized communities. But UM. A lot of white 356 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: owned banks did accept deposits from black customers, but some didn't, 357 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: and those managers thought that black customers would scare away 358 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 1: the white people who were coming into the business. So 359 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: Maggie knew that it wasn't the best idea to go 360 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: to these white owned banks, and that they're needed to 361 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: be black owned banks that black people could patronize. So 362 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 1: she wanted to be the person who could create that bank. 363 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 1: So she was already clearly into women's empowerment and the 364 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 1: empowerment of black people and building up community, so the 365 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,160 Speaker 1: bank was just part of that. So she started building 366 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 1: up her banking and her accounting and her business skills 367 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: by studying banks that were in Richmond, Virginia. She recruited 368 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 1: in It Burke, the hit teller from the True Reformers Bank, 369 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: which was the bank that we talked about earlier, the 370 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 1: first black bank that was chartered in the US. And 371 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: so after all that happened and she built up all 372 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 1: her skills and self educated UM, she opened the St. 373 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: Luke Penny Savings Bank on the first floor of St. 374 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: Lucoll on November two, n oh three. The goal of 375 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: the bank was to encourage savings and facilitate loans and yeah, 376 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: she became the first woman period to charter a bank 377 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 1: in the United States in nineteen three. Yep, that's uh. 378 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: I love the name. I don't know why, but like 379 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: saving pennies. I've just had a good experience with every 380 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: place that I been to that's got that name, and 381 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: they're mostly bars, but penny the word the word penny 382 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:08,719 Speaker 1: in their name. Interesting. So are you a person who 383 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: picks up pennies on hits but not pennies on tails 384 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:13,400 Speaker 1: or do you not pick up pennies at all? Oh 385 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: my gosh. I actually feel a deep pang in my 386 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:17,679 Speaker 1: heart every time I see a penion, and I'm like, 387 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: this is so sad because if no one picks you up, 388 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: you're just out of our money circulation. Yeah, it's just 389 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 1: like lost money. That's why I pick it up every time. 390 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,680 Speaker 1: I feel Yes, And this is gonna be so embarrassing 391 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: because I'm going to sound like a cheap skate saying this, 392 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna come forth. I'm gonna speak my truth 393 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: right now. Do it. I can't stand when people don't 394 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 1: give me back change at like restaurants. I hate that. 395 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,920 Speaker 1: I'm like, do you know how important these nickels are 396 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:50,640 Speaker 1: to me. This is my life. I'm the same way. 397 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: I'm the same way because I have to pay for 398 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: laundry still and I'm always like, this is laundry money. 399 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: I need this. Don't take this from me. And it 400 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: happened a lot when I was in I feel like 401 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:06,399 Speaker 1: l A. Oh yeah, back changing to l A, l A, 402 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:10,360 Speaker 1: what's going on cheap skates? Let me not offend any 403 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: l A listeners. Well, no, no listeners from l A. 404 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 1: They just have the money to give those nickels away. 405 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 1: If right in with your experience with the nickel situation 406 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 1: in l A. Please we need to know. Please do 407 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: how I'd love to We have some more about all 408 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: of these first to share with you listeners, But first 409 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:29,879 Speaker 1: we have a quick break for a word from our sponsor, 410 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: and we're back. Thank you sponsor. Um So. By the 411 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: end of the first day of the bank's business after 412 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: Maggie opened it, it had over nine thousand dollars in deposits, 413 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 1: and by January of nineteen o six, savings deposits were 414 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 1: a hundred and seventy thousand dollars. So that provided opportunities 415 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 1: for home and business loans, and by nineteen twenty the 416 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: bank had financed over six hundred home loans, allowing for 417 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: significant real estate holdings among the black community in Richmond. 418 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:16,199 Speaker 1: So it was just a a snowball of things that 419 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: were able to happen after she opened this bank basically, 420 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,360 Speaker 1: and most of the female account holders there were domestic 421 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: workers as well. So her Maggie's vision for the bank 422 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:30,919 Speaker 1: was like she wanted multiple branches in Virginia and Brandon, 423 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 1: d C. It didn't really work out like that in 424 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: the beginning, um only there was only a branch in Hampton, Virginia. 425 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 1: But it was successful over the years and it continued 426 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 1: to grow, especially in the beginning, and it helped really 427 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 1: ensure the existence and longevity of the middle class of 428 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: black people in Virginia or in Richmond. And so in 429 00:24:55,720 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 1: nineteen there was a stock market crash which would have 430 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 1: affected the bank and as it did a lot of 431 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:06,400 Speaker 1: banks and other businesses. Um So Maggie had the foresight. 432 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:08,800 Speaker 1: She was a smart woman. She was a smart woman, 433 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: and she merged the St. Luke Bank with two other 434 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 1: black banks in the area, which were the Commercial Bank 435 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,159 Speaker 1: and Trust Company and the Second Street Savings Bank and 436 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:21,679 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty, the bank became the Consolidated Bank and 437 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,639 Speaker 1: Trust Company, and Maggie was the chairman, art chair person, 438 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 1: the chair She was the chairperson, Okay. The bank continued 439 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: to operate as a black owned institution until two thousand five, 440 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: when yeah, like a long time when it was purchased, 441 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 1: thank you for recognizing how amazing that is, UM, when 442 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:44,960 Speaker 1: it was purchased by the Abigail Adams Corporation, and then 443 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: the Premier Bank bought it in two thousand eleven. So 444 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: at that time it was the longest operating black owned 445 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: bank in the States. UM. And that brings us to 446 00:25:56,119 --> 00:26:01,160 Speaker 1: contemporary times. UM. But during her lifetime a bank wasn't 447 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,639 Speaker 1: the only thing that she was involved in. Like she 448 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 1: was also politically active. She was socially active. As we 449 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,920 Speaker 1: mentioned at the top of the episode, these were ready 450 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 1: days in in the United States and there was a 451 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,880 Speaker 1: lot to fight for. UM. So in nineteen o four 452 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: she was an organizer of the boycott that protested the 453 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: Virginia Passenger in Power Companies policy of segregated seating on 454 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: street cars and enrichment. And we talked about the department 455 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 1: store she opened that in nineteen o five, and she 456 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 1: also so here's where the organizations come in. Um. She 457 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 1: worked for the Order of St. Luke's but she was 458 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: in a ton of other organizations, including she was the 459 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,680 Speaker 1: vice president of the Richmond chapter of the n double 460 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: a cp UM later in life. But here's some other 461 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: roles she heilled Are you ready for this? So read 462 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: buckle in the National Association of Colored Women, She was 463 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 1: in the National Association of Wage Earners, the Council of 464 00:26:55,640 --> 00:27:00,639 Speaker 1: Colored Women, Interracial Commission, International count So of Women of 465 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 1: the Darker Races, National Negro Business League, and the Negro 466 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 1: Organization Society. That's pretty solid. She had a lot going on, 467 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 1: she should and I'm just she didn't have Google cow probably, 468 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 1: but if she did, if she didn't off the hook right. 469 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:28,639 Speaker 1: Too many notifications all the time. So in nineteen twenty 470 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 1: one she also ran for public office under what they 471 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,879 Speaker 1: call Lily Black Republican ticket, and the ticket didn't do 472 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:37,200 Speaker 1: so well. She was running for Superintendent of Public Instructions, 473 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: so she lost like everybody else on the ticket. But 474 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 1: you know, it is what it is. And um, but 475 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: that was a venture of hers as well. She tried 476 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,919 Speaker 1: to go into office also when she also lived in 477 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:49,879 Speaker 1: a really nice house and a really nice part of 478 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: town Um in Virginia. From nineteen o five to nineteen 479 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,439 Speaker 1: thirty four, she lived in a Victorian town house in 480 00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:00,199 Speaker 1: an elite black neighborhood in jim Crow Richmond, UM. And 481 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: it was pretty fancy, Like it was kind of fancy, 482 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: and she has some cool people come over, Like she 483 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:09,199 Speaker 1: had some cool friends like W. E. Douvoce, Mary McLoud, 484 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 1: Bethune and Langston Hughes Um. But yeah, her house was 485 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 1: like I'm just trying to imagine this when I think 486 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: about families, like who has so many children who were 487 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 1: so huge, which I feel like doesn't happen that much anymore, 488 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: but she had to think I think it was like 489 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: at once at one point, like dozens of rooms in 490 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 1: the house, Like she had more added onto the townhouse. 491 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 1: Then he got up to twenty eight or thirty two 492 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:33,959 Speaker 1: rooms or something like that, because there was a lot 493 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: of family that was living in the house at one time. 494 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:41,719 Speaker 1: Like families had their own like parts of the house, 495 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 1: which I think is really cool. Um. And I think 496 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 1: that's another conversation that is a longer conversation to be 497 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: had when it comes to continuing to nurture generations of 498 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: the family within black community specifically. UM. Another conversation to 499 00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: be had that we don't have time for right now. UM. 500 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 1: But yeah, she had a huge uh family and house 501 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: that she lived in and she lived well, like she 502 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: was successful. Um. And so later in her life she 503 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: did UM a lot more things. She fought for women's 504 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 1: suffrage in the nineteenth Amendment UM, which prohibits the government 505 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 1: from denying the right to vote in the basis of sex. 506 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: And she just kept doing things after the bank was growing. 507 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 1: So she's the first she is. Yeah, her story is 508 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 1: really cool, and I love that she did do so 509 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,719 Speaker 1: much stuff to empower people in her community, Like that 510 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: was a big push for her. UM. So inspiring first 511 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: for sure. Yeah, And I think that the thing she did, 512 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 1: it's also really good to look back on because you know, 513 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: a lot of like talk when it comes to a 514 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 1: black community and financial education, financial literacy, economic empowerment, and 515 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 1: the black dollar staying in the black community is still 516 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: a conversation that happens a lot right now and for 517 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: good reasons. And we're also talking about reparations a lot 518 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: right now, because nobody got paid for the work that 519 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: they did while they were enslaved um. But the things 520 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: that Maggie did, I think people it's easy to be 521 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: able to look to her as an inspiration or as 522 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 1: a leader of what to do to economically empower people 523 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: and to keep that goal on one's mind and to 524 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 1: try new things, you know, and to continue to educate people. 525 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: And she was just so so determined and so headstrong 526 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 1: at a time when it probably was easy not to 527 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: be you know, like it's probably easy to lose faith 528 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 1: what I mean by that, right, right? Right? So yeah, 529 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: I just I think she's really cool. And yeah, so 530 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 1: do you want to move on to our next first? Yeah? 531 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: I like this. I feel like we're reviewing, like two 532 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: thumbs up, Maggie Walker. You look, what we think about 533 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 1: you is very important, is okay? And it does all 534 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: the other stuff you've done, your accolades, It doesn't matter. 535 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: When I say you're cool, You're cool. Cool heaves gives 536 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: you the cool stamp, and you are set. You are set. 537 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:26,240 Speaker 1: But yeah, let's let's move on to your other first, who, 538 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: as I not so coolly pointed out, is another woman 539 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 1: whose name starts with Anne, and she's got other things 540 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: going on for her that was so cool, Annie, dang 541 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 1: yourself like that. If he just gives me the cool 542 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: thumbs up, Oh gosh, my life is made. What Annie 543 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: and I were talking about earlier is that the similarities 544 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: between these two people, Maggie Walker and Maria tald Chief, 545 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: which is who we're about to talk about, and Maria 546 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 1: tal Chief, like Maggie Walker was the first woman to 547 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: do a thing, but she was also a first Native 548 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: American woman to do a thing, so she um ethnicity. Notwithstanding, 549 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 1: she was the first, she was the first woman, and 550 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: she was the first major prima ballerina in America. And 551 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: she was the first because she was Native American. She 552 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,240 Speaker 1: was also the first Native American to do that thing. 553 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:16,880 Speaker 1: But she was a pioneer in the field in general. 554 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,520 Speaker 1: So she was a prima ballerina for the New York 555 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 1: City Ballet. That's how she got that first. Um is okay, 556 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: So I have taken ballet, but prima ballerina UM for 557 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 1: for people who don't perhaps know, please tell us no, 558 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 1: I don't know. I'm asking you, isn't it. It's like 559 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: the prime ball yeah, the principal dancer. UM. I haven't 560 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 1: taken ballet either. You have? You have? Okay? So you're 561 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 1: way way more on point than I am about currently. 562 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 1: Not what is that called the point? Point? The point? 563 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:01,640 Speaker 1: The point was ballet pun that just happened, but it 564 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: was physical so it just felt flat on his face. Well, 565 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 1: the day that we're able to somehow translate sound into 566 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 1: also feeling our vision when people can see what was 567 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 1: going on in the podcast studio, that's what that is 568 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:26,680 Speaker 1: called for. Now we just inherit it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 569 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: I mean if you can imagine listeners, so it would 570 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 1: be like to like watch something that we are visionaries, 571 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 1: but if you can imagine what it's like to watch 572 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: were ever died right now? But also who was ahead 573 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:48,280 Speaker 1: of her time is Marity Ma was very ahead of 574 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: her time. So she was born on January and she 575 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: was born named Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief in Fairfax, Oklahoma 576 00:33:56,800 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 1: on the O Sage Nation Reservation UM and her father 577 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:03,480 Speaker 1: was Alexander Joseph Tall Chief, who was a full blooded 578 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: oh Sage and a big time real estate exect. And 579 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:10,799 Speaker 1: her mother was Ruth Tall Chief who had Irish, Scottish 580 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:14,400 Speaker 1: and Dutch roots. And at that time, the O Sage 581 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 1: were the wealthiest tribe in the US since they had 582 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 1: discovered oil on their land, and everyone held minimal rights. 583 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 1: But you know, Maria still had some stuff going on 584 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 1: in her family UM and her father had a drinking problem, 585 00:34:28,640 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: which often led to arguments with Maria's mother and the 586 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,840 Speaker 1: O Sage were obviously still subject to persecution like Native 587 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 1: American tribes were in America at the time from the 588 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:41,319 Speaker 1: federal government. So in eighteen eighty four, the U s 589 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 1: officially banned what they called quote pagan ceremonies UM, and 590 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:49,319 Speaker 1: they began imprisoning and even killing American Indians who took 591 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:54,880 Speaker 1: part in tribal religious ceremonies, and so the throughout the 592 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:58,560 Speaker 1: late eighteen hundreds in early nineteen hundreds, the government was 593 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 1: enforcing laws that outlawed Native American traditions. And there's a 594 00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:06,719 Speaker 1: rich like I don't want to say rich because that 595 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:11,799 Speaker 1: sounds positive, but there's a long history of uh of 596 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 1: Native Americans practices being forcefully assimilated and being Christianized and 597 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 1: so on and so forth. Maria's grandmother, Eliza Big Heart 598 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,640 Speaker 1: Tall Chief, still snuck Maria and her younger sister into 599 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,359 Speaker 1: secret tribal ceremonies when they were children, which is just 600 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 1: really endearing to me. I don't know, it sounds really cute, 601 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:38,080 Speaker 1: but Maria was fascinated by all the outfits, the dancing 602 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 1: and the songs at the pow wows, and that really 603 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:43,359 Speaker 1: stuck with her throughout her childhood different lifetime. So when 604 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: she was three, she went to her first ballet lesson 605 00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:48,800 Speaker 1: UM in the basement of the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, 606 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 1: UM And by the time she was five, her ballet 607 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,879 Speaker 1: teacher already had her dancing on point on the toe 608 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:58,400 Speaker 1: thing the toe thing, which um is actually not great 609 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: to start that earlier. Julie Maria also started piano lessons 610 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:05,799 Speaker 1: when she was young. Her mother really wanted her to 611 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:09,320 Speaker 1: be a concert pianist, but Maria wanted to do ballet, 612 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:11,800 Speaker 1: like that's where she really wanted. She did do piano lessons, 613 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:16,840 Speaker 1: but what she really wanted was ballet, so her family 614 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 1: called her Betty Marie. When she was eight years old, 615 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:22,759 Speaker 1: her family moved to Beverly Hills, California, so under the 616 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:27,040 Speaker 1: guidance of the famed dancer and choreographer Ernest Pilcher, Maria 617 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:30,840 Speaker 1: and her sister learned everything from ballet to acrobatics to 618 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:35,160 Speaker 1: tap dance, and Ruth was really excited to get her 619 00:36:35,239 --> 00:36:38,640 Speaker 1: daughters out onto the stage, so sometimes she made them 620 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:43,399 Speaker 1: do these cringe worthy Native American dances that were really contrived, 621 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: um to be called triballl. So, yeah, in nineteen thirty eight, 622 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 1: Maria and her sister began studying basically from here, it's 623 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:57,200 Speaker 1: just ballet, ballet, ballet, like you know, when you're in something, 624 00:36:57,239 --> 00:36:59,719 Speaker 1: you're in something, and as we know with a lot 625 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:05,280 Speaker 1: of who we're a passionate artists, like their lives become 626 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:09,879 Speaker 1: that art and they just really delve into it. And 627 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:14,120 Speaker 1: that was that was Maria's life from that point. So 628 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 1: she basically really got heavy into ballet from here. So 629 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:19,879 Speaker 1: in ninety eight, she and her sister began studying under 630 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:23,640 Speaker 1: David Lashin and his wife was a prima ballerina, Tatiana 631 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:28,280 Speaker 1: Ribauchinska and Bronislava Nijinska, who was a notable ballet teacher 632 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 1: and choreographer. So Najenska was a really tough teacher who 633 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 1: pushed her students to be dancers at all time, but 634 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: not just when they were like practicing and performing. You 635 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:40,320 Speaker 1: make it a part of your life, and she really 636 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 1: recognized Maria's talent and they decided to cast her, or 637 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,799 Speaker 1: she decided to cast her in the ballet Chopin Concerto, 638 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:50,600 Speaker 1: which was performed at the Hollywood Bowl in nineteen forty 639 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:56,480 Speaker 1: Oh wow, yep. So Maria graduated from Beverly Hills High 640 00:37:56,480 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: School in nineteen forty two, and she hit the ground running. 641 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:03,080 Speaker 1: After that. She got a job as an extra in 642 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:08,279 Speaker 1: the film Presenting Lily Mars, which start Judy Garland. We know, 643 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:10,319 Speaker 1: we all know, yes, well, I'm not going to make 644 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:16,880 Speaker 1: any assumptions, but never sued, right, And soon after she 645 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 1: earned a spot at valet Roust de Monte Carlo, which 646 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,839 Speaker 1: was a major ballet company at the time. And when 647 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 1: she was performing with vallet Rous, this is the time 648 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:28,120 Speaker 1: that she went from Betty Marie, as her family called her, 649 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:32,680 Speaker 1: to Maria tall Chief. One word originally in her name 650 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 1: is tall Chief is two words, but she went to 651 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:36,759 Speaker 1: She was already using tall Chief as one word, but 652 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 1: she changed her first name to Maria because her colleagues 653 00:38:40,719 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 1: said that a more Russian sounding name would help make 654 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:49,200 Speaker 1: her more appealing and palatable to people. Wow. Yeah, So 655 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:52,680 Speaker 1: she started rising in the ranks. Basically, she went from 656 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 1: the court of ballet to solo parts started being in 657 00:38:56,040 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 1: the spotlight. And the Russian choreographer George Balance, she who 658 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: has been called the father of American ballet, really helped 659 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 1: her sharpen her ballet skills um over the years. So 660 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:10,560 Speaker 1: he helped her on the turnout or when they when 661 00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:13,919 Speaker 1: dancers like rontate their legs outwards so the toes point 662 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:17,560 Speaker 1: away from each other. I'm trying to do my hands 663 00:39:17,719 --> 00:39:19,560 Speaker 1: were doing the thing again, What do you know about 664 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 1: this because you were in ballet? What am i? What 665 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:23,440 Speaker 1: am I talking about? Okay, So he trained her to 666 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:26,360 Speaker 1: become stronger, and he just really helped her embody the 667 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:28,839 Speaker 1: art of ballet. And she even once said, Marie even 668 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:31,360 Speaker 1: Want said that she didn't fully understand ballet until he 669 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:37,319 Speaker 1: came around. So that ballet relationship turned into a more 670 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 1: romantic relationship. In nine six, the two of them, Maria 671 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:44,239 Speaker 1: and Balance. She got married when she was twenty one 672 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:47,120 Speaker 1: and he was forty two years old. So there's a 673 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:49,879 Speaker 1: big difference there. But that marriage didn't last too long. 674 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:54,239 Speaker 1: It only lasted six years. Yeah, but so it was 675 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:58,520 Speaker 1: it was a rough relationship. Um, they didn't really the 676 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:01,120 Speaker 1: job or meshed like that much. But what at least 677 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:03,680 Speaker 1: not romantically. But while why there, while they were together 678 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 1: and afterwards they collaborated a ton. So they went to 679 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 1: France and Maria made her debut at the Paris Opera 680 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:12,880 Speaker 1: Ballet in nineteen forty seven, and in nineteen forty eight 681 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:16,320 Speaker 1: Maria joined Balancine's new company, the New York City Ballet, 682 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:21,520 Speaker 1: and she was Prima Ballerina there until nineteen sixty. Wow. Yeah, 683 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:25,120 Speaker 1: a long time, A long time. I'm just thinking about 684 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:31,560 Speaker 1: and I'm always fascinated by athletes, um, by their like 685 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:34,760 Speaker 1: what's what's the word for it, Like how they're able 686 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 1: to do these really intense things for so long. Yeah, 687 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:40,800 Speaker 1: Like that seems like so much stress on the body. 688 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:46,759 Speaker 1: It does. Yeah, I remember when, um, Michael Phelps was 689 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,920 Speaker 1: like phillips Mania and it was like this is what 690 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 1: are he eats every day? And this is his work 691 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:53,759 Speaker 1: at every day? What? Yeah? What you have to have 692 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:57,840 Speaker 1: serious resolve to stay that dedicated to something that's so 693 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:00,840 Speaker 1: physical and so intensely physical, and like you said it, 694 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:06,120 Speaker 1: it becomes your life like everything m hm. Really interesting. 695 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 1: So we have a little bit more for you, but 696 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:11,040 Speaker 1: first we're going to pause for one more quick break 697 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: for a word from our sponsor. M and we're back, 698 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:27,080 Speaker 1: Thank you, sponsor. So Maria rose to the top of 699 00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:30,960 Speaker 1: the ballet world when she started The Firebird at the 700 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:34,440 Speaker 1: New York City Ballet and her performance as the sugar 701 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:37,920 Speaker 1: poem Ferry in a version of Chaikovsky's The Nutcracker and 702 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:40,720 Speaker 1: a bunch of other roles that showed off her technical 703 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:44,120 Speaker 1: skill and her passion. And so she toured Europe and Asia, 704 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:47,279 Speaker 1: and she performed with other ballet companies and even played 705 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,759 Speaker 1: Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova in the nineteen fifty three film 706 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:56,600 Speaker 1: Million Dollar Mermaid. So she was she was talented. You 707 00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:00,040 Speaker 1: have a lot of things. Sounds like it. Sounds like it. 708 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:02,759 Speaker 1: So during her life she was always involved in the 709 00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 1: ballet world in some way. Even after she retired from 710 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 1: dancing and settled down with her family in Chicago, she 711 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:13,200 Speaker 1: went on to become the director of Ballet at the 712 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:16,879 Speaker 1: Lyric Opera of Chicago, and she founded the Chicago City 713 00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:21,080 Speaker 1: Ballet and was this artistic director from eighty one until 714 00:42:21,239 --> 00:42:26,319 Speaker 1: eight seven. M So a lifetime, lifetime of achievements. So 715 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:28,560 Speaker 1: it's time for us to give her Lifetime Achievement Award 716 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:33,520 Speaker 1: like we did with Maggy Walker. We've got the thumbs 717 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:39,680 Speaker 1: up ready to go. You're cool. Yeah, So that's that's 718 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:45,280 Speaker 1: that's Maria taul Chief. That's yeah, that's an also pretty 719 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:50,760 Speaker 1: amazing story. I didn't know she was in a film. Yeah. Um, 720 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,040 Speaker 1: so if you don't mind me asking why did she 721 00:42:53,120 --> 00:42:58,320 Speaker 1: pick these two these two women, So I was I want, okay, 722 00:42:58,320 --> 00:42:59,960 Speaker 1: so sometimes they're selfish, you know, I want to know 723 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:03,720 Speaker 1: more about them. So, um, I was already familiar with Maria, 724 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:05,440 Speaker 1: so we had an episode on her for this day 725 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:08,840 Speaker 1: in history class. But I wasn't as familiar with Maggie Walker, 726 00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:11,560 Speaker 1: and I wanted to learn more about her. And then 727 00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:13,160 Speaker 1: I didn't, Like I said earlier, I didn't realize the 728 00:43:13,200 --> 00:43:17,279 Speaker 1: connection between the two of them in terms of the 729 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 1: whole ethnicity and woman thing um going on. But um, 730 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:25,319 Speaker 1: I figured that was a serendipitous occurrence. But yeah, so 731 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:28,720 Speaker 1: that's it was just I don't know, you know, sometimes 732 00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:32,440 Speaker 1: you just don't know exactly why. Um. But they were 733 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:33,799 Speaker 1: the ones who jumped out to me, and I think 734 00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:37,000 Speaker 1: it was also like a even though they have their similarities, 735 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:40,200 Speaker 1: they're also very in very different fields, like one's an 736 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:45,239 Speaker 1: artist and one's a financial Like in the financial area 737 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:49,879 Speaker 1: and the business development um social justice economic justice kind 738 00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:53,759 Speaker 1: of area, and artists, but they're both equally like, they're 739 00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:58,080 Speaker 1: both important, and they're both people that were able to 740 00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:00,800 Speaker 1: look to when it comes to setting andrews and setting 741 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:06,319 Speaker 1: goals and just being inspirational in general. So yeah, that's 742 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:10,640 Speaker 1: probably part of it. Not Also, I just think it's 743 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:14,920 Speaker 1: really good to highlight black women who were working in 744 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:18,200 Speaker 1: the financial area because we we do hear a lot 745 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:22,640 Speaker 1: about people or black women in history who dealt with 746 00:44:22,719 --> 00:44:25,960 Speaker 1: social justice, but not necessarily from the financial and banking 747 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:29,279 Speaker 1: angle of it. So I thought it would be really 748 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:33,400 Speaker 1: cool to highlight her for that reason. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, 749 00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:38,160 Speaker 1: I agree. Um, and I had never heard of either 750 00:44:38,239 --> 00:44:41,799 Speaker 1: of these women, so I'm very glad to have two 751 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:47,520 Speaker 1: more inspirational women too. Yeah. I hope that a lot 752 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:49,680 Speaker 1: of people haven't either, not because I don't want them 753 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:51,520 Speaker 1: to know about people, but because they get to learn 754 00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:55,480 Speaker 1: about somebody else, you know, some some new people today, 755 00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:59,840 Speaker 1: and hopefully people will continue looking into their stories because 756 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:03,239 Speaker 1: we've only talked for so long. If I don't know 757 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:08,759 Speaker 1: whose life you could fit into, what hour? So I mean, yeah, 758 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:12,439 Speaker 1: especially not these women, right right, right, Um, Yeah, there's 759 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:15,680 Speaker 1: definitely so much more that if you're listening to this, 760 00:45:15,719 --> 00:45:18,719 Speaker 1: you're like, wow, I want to know everything. There's so 761 00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:23,800 Speaker 1: much out there for you. Yeah. Um, but I think 762 00:45:23,880 --> 00:45:26,440 Speaker 1: that this brings us about to the end of this 763 00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:30,440 Speaker 1: our first first female first. I'm going to come up 764 00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:34,719 Speaker 1: with something first female first, like four h but four 765 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:39,400 Speaker 1: f forever inimitable. I feel like I'm making up words 766 00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:41,840 Speaker 1: at this point. Maybe that's what we need to do. 767 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:45,279 Speaker 1: I mean, we've learned from these women. You can't let 768 00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:50,200 Speaker 1: barriers stuff here. You need to we're learning already, see see. Yeah, um, 769 00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:53,560 Speaker 1: well we'll do that. We'll work on that all podcast. 770 00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:58,240 Speaker 1: But in the meantime, thank you so much for joining us, Eves. 771 00:45:58,320 --> 00:46:02,480 Speaker 1: This has been really fun and educational and uh yeah, 772 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:07,080 Speaker 1: hopefully this will be a recurring first segments. Yes, thank 773 00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:09,400 Speaker 1: you for having me. Yes, and I'll be back soon. 774 00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:12,799 Speaker 1: Oh I hope so. Um. And like we've mentioned, you 775 00:46:12,800 --> 00:46:16,000 Speaker 1: can hear Eves on this day in history class. And 776 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:20,000 Speaker 1: it's like five episodes a week, right, it's seven, it's 777 00:46:20,080 --> 00:46:23,560 Speaker 1: every day. It's every day. So I complain about my 778 00:46:23,640 --> 00:46:29,239 Speaker 1: life to it's still a lot of work, Like we're 779 00:46:29,280 --> 00:46:33,799 Speaker 1: all swapped here. Yes, yeah, that is true. So yes, 780 00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:36,040 Speaker 1: you can hear Eaves every day on this day in 781 00:46:36,080 --> 00:46:39,120 Speaker 1: history class, and I highly recommend that you check it out. 782 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:43,320 Speaker 1: Thank you any This brings us to the end of 783 00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:47,239 Speaker 1: this our first episode of First. I hope that you 784 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:50,200 Speaker 1: enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed doing it with 785 00:46:50,239 --> 00:46:53,360 Speaker 1: my good friend Eves. If you would like to email 786 00:46:53,440 --> 00:46:55,240 Speaker 1: is about a first you would love to hear about, 787 00:46:55,560 --> 00:46:57,880 Speaker 1: you can. Our email is mom Stuff at how stuff 788 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:00,480 Speaker 1: works dot com. You can also find us on social media. 789 00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:03,600 Speaker 1: On Twitter we are at mom Stuff Podcasts, and on 790 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:05,799 Speaker 1: Instagram we are at Stuff I've Never told you. Thanks. 791 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:08,640 Speaker 1: It's always for our producer, Andrew Howard, and thanks to you. 792 00:47:09,880 --> 00:47:10,080 Speaker 1: That's