Madame C.J. Walker
Madam C.J. Walker, the first self-made U.S. woman millionaire of any race, owned property in Idlewild.
Who Is Madame C.J. Walker?
“I am a woman that came from the cotton fields of the South. I was promoted from there to the wash tub. Then I was promoted to the cook kitchen, and from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations…Everybody told me I was making a mistake by going into this business, but I know how to grow hair as well as I know how to grow cotton. ”
For many black people and black women in specific, Madame C.J. Walker was/is an entrepreneurial role model and a monumental figure from black history. Born Sarah Breedlove, Madame C.J. Walker came from a family of former slaves-turned sharecroppers after the Civil War. Madame C.J. Walker was the fifth child of Owen and Minerva, who left her orphaned by the age of seven. By the age of fourteen, Madame C.J. Walker was married to Moses McWilliams with whom she had her daughter A'Lelia with before becoming divorced by the age of twenty.
Furthermore, after the divorce, Madame C.J. Walker and her daughter moved to St. Louis where she found a job as laundress, making as much money as she could for her and her daughter.
Additionally, she was singing in the choir of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal, which was were she met her second husband, Charles J. Walker.
How Did Madame C.J. Walker Become An Entrepreneur?
Starting from zero, Madame C.J. Walker worked her way to riches. The above quote is one that stands out to me most in terms of her passion and determination to succeed and become a business owner. In today’s world a promotion for many of us is not from a wash tub cleaner to a kitchen, rather a much better position however, that was not how she saw it.
Many wonder how Madame C.J. Walker became the first "black woman millionaire in America". With $1.25 in her pocket, this incredible woman was very set and determined on starting her business. With a target audience of African American women, Madame C.J. Walker started a line of hair products and straighteners to help ease the process of dealing African hair for women. Even though heat and the use of chemicals was introduced to them, it was also much needed because not everybody knew how to deal with African hair, and it was a way for women to style their hair differently aside from braids and protective styles.
As her business grew and succeeded, Madame C.J. Walker decided to apply her success to philanthropy giving to the organizations that focused on the social well-being of Black Americans.
The Walker System
To go in further depth of the business, the reason behind Madame C.J. Walker's business is the scalp disorder she developed that lead to her losing so much hair. She eventually came up with a treatment that would change the black hair care industry.
Some of her magical treatments were Wonderful Hair Grower, Glossline, and Vegetable Shampoo. At the beginning of the business' growth, Mr Walker; her husband was helping her with marketing, advertising and mail orders. However, as the business grew more, they eventually drifted apart and got a divorce.
Madame C.J. Walker’s Legacy
Dying at the young age of fifty one, Madame C.J. Walker's name and work never left the community. To this day, her name is remembered as one of the pioneers of the black community for the incredible work she did for them.