International Women’s Day – #Inspire Inclusion

On March 8, more than 400 bankers from across Virginia gathered virtually for a fireside chat with Jennifer Knighting, First Bank, Virginia, and Liza Mickens, great, great-granddaughter of Maggie Lena Walker, the first African American woman to found, charter and serve as president of a bank in America.

Recording

You can view the recording of the fireside chat here.

Watch Party Pictures

Be sure to send pictures from your watch parties to Monica McDearmon!

Meet Liza Mickens

Since she was 5 years old, Liza Mickens has been speaking publicly on behalf of her family in Richmond, VA. Liza’s great, great-grandmother, Maggie Lena Walker, was the first African American woman to found, charter, and serve as president of a bank in America. Over the years, she has shared her story with National news outlets, the VA General Assembly, the National Park Service, and crowds of hundreds.​

In May 2019, Liza graduated from James Madison University where she pursued a degree in communications and public relations. After graduation, she moved to New York City to continue working in the fashion industry where she interned at PR Consulting, working on the Gabriela Hearst, Dries Van Noten, J Brand, and Adam Selman accounts before transitioning to high-end luxury retail sales at Koio in Soho generating at least 11k in sales each month. ​

Throughout all of these experiences, Liza has taken every chance to amplify Maggie Walker’s pursuit of racial and gender equality. During the “downtime” of COVID, Liza quickly adapted and used this time to continue Maggie Walker’s legacy of equality by working towards the recognition of the fully ratified Equal Rights Amendment with Vote Equality US; sharing stories of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of VA in an online presence; and contributing to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board at St. Catherine’s School (‘15). ​