Lillian Harris Payne

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Lillian Harris Payne (November 22, 1867 – March 2, 1962) was an editor and community leader in Richmond, Virginia. She edited the St. Luke Herald, the newspaper of the Independent Order of St. Luke. She was a close ally of Maggie Lena Walker, the first African American woman to found a bank. Payne helped revive the Independent Order of St. Luke in 1900 and later served on the board of the St. Luke Bank.

Career:
Payne started as a teacher at age 16. In the 1890s she met Walker through the Woman's Union, a group for African American women. She was one of four women chosen to lead the IOStL revival and worked there for more than 50 years, becoming Walker's second in command. She led the finance committee at the St. Luke Bank and underwrote thousands of mortgages in Richmond's Black community. She became editor of the St. Luke Herald, which reported on politics, social issues, business, and membership news. During her tenure, the paper reached about 100,000 members, with roughly 30% of Black Richmond families subscribing.

Personal life:
Payne was born in Richmond on November 22, 1867, to Henry and Henrietta Harris. She married Winston D. Payne in 1893 and had a son named Winston Jr. She was known for writing and staging plays and May Queen pageants, and for publishing books about these performances. She also served as executive secretary of the Associated Charities, a Richmond social service agency.

Death:
She died on March 2, 1962, at the age of 94.