Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919), born Sarah Breedlove,
is considered to be the first self-made female American millionaire. Walker began her career as a widowed washerwoman, earning just enough to send her daughter to the city's public schools. When she developed a scalp ailment that resulted in her own hair loss, she started dabbling in store-bought and home remedies to improve her condition. She then developed an African-American hair care treatment line, which her second husband, Charles, helped advertise around the South and Southeast. Walker's business began to grow and become more successful, and she was able to open a factory and beauty school in Pittsburgh in 1908. Walker started investing a lot into training sales beauticians and representatives. The "Walker Agents" were well known and promoted Walker's philosophy of "cleanliness and loveliness", which, in turn, advanced the status of African-Americans.
Walker became a significant part of Harlem's social and political culture and founded many philanthropies. She founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Conference on Lynching, and donated to educational scholarships, homes for the elderly, the construction of an Indianapolis YMCA, and many other organizations that focused on improving the lives of African Americans. When she passed away in 1919 at the age of 51, her business was valued at more than $1 million. She left one-third of her estate to her daughter, who would go on to become an important part of the Harlem Renaissance, and left the other two-thirds to different charities. Currently, the Walker Building, an arts center she had started work on before her death, commemorates her accomplishments is dedicated to showcasing African-American culture, and is now registered as a National Historic Landmark in Indianapolis.
2 comments:
I find it interesting how she was able to become the first self made millionaire as a woman despite being black and having all odds stacked against her
Madam CJ Walker was definitely a good role model for other blacks to follow in her path, and she gave funding and land to her daughter who could carry on her legacy. I can tell that she is a very selfless person. It's also amazing that she became an millionaire before the age of 50, which was probably very hard to do during those times, especially for black women.
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