Madame CJ Walker

Madam C. J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove; December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919) was an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. Walker is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records.Multiple sources mention that although other women (like Mary Ellen Pleasant) might have been the first, their wealth is not as well-documented.

Walker made her fortune by developing and marketing a line of cosmetics and hair care products for Black women through the business she founded, Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company. Walker became known also for her philanthropy and activism. Walker made financial donations to numerous organizations such as the NAACP and became a patron of the arts. Villa Lewaro, Walker's lavish estate in Irvington, New York served as a social gathering place for the African-American community. At the time of her death, Walker was considered the wealthiest African-American businesswoman and wealthiest self-made black woman in America.[4] Her name was a version of "Mrs. Charles Joseph Walker" after her third husband.

Madam C. J. Walker was a trailblazing African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist who is widely regarded as the first self-made female millionaire in the United States. Rising from poverty, she built a highly successful haircare and cosmetics empire and used her wealth and influence to champion civil rights and women's economic independence.

• Born free: Born Sarah Breedlove in 1867 in Louisiana, she was the first in her family born into freedom after the Emancipation Proclamation. Her parents were formerly enslaved sharecroppers.
• Early hardships: Orphaned at age seven, she worked in cotton fields and as a laundress. To escape an abusive brother-in-law, she married at 14 and was a widowed mother by age 20.
• Move to St. Louis: Seeking a better life, she and her daughter, A'Lelia, moved to St. Louis. There, she was influenced by the educated and successful women of her church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church. 

• Inspired by hair loss: Walker began developing her own hair products after suffering from a scalp ailment that caused severe hair loss. She was partly inspired by products she sold as an agent for entrepreneur Annie Turnbo Malone.
• The "Walker System": She developed a line of products and a method of grooming known as the "Walker System" that focused on scalp health and hair conditioning.
• Founding her company: In 1906, she married Charles Joseph Walker, a newspaper advertising salesman, and began marketing her product as "Madam C. J. Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower". In 1910, she founded the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company in Indianapolis.
• Building an empire: Her innovative multi-level marketing strategy empowered thousands of Black women as sales agents, known as "beauty culturalists." By the time of her death, she had employed thousands of women across the US and Caribbean, providing them with economic independence. 

• Uplifting her community: As her wealth grew, so did her commitment to social change. She was a prominent philanthropist, donating heavily to Black organizations and causes.
• Supporting education and civil rights: She funded scholarships for women at the Tuskegee Institute, contributed to the YMCA, and made significant financial donations to the NAACP's anti-lynching fund.
• Activism: A powerful speaker, she used her platform to advocate for Black economic independence and condemn racial violence. In 1917, she joined a delegation to the White House to urge President Woodrow Wilson to make lynching a federal crime.
• Legacy landmarks: Her home, 
  Villa Lewaro

   in Irvington, New York, became a gathering place for Black leaders and artists. Today, both it and the 

  Madam Walker Theatre Center

   in Indianapolis are National Historic Landmarks.

• Walker passed away in 1919 at the age of 51. In her will, she directed that two-thirds of her company's future net profits be given to charity.
• Her company continued under the leadership of her daughter, A'Lelia Walker, who also became a major patron of the Harlem Renaissance.
• In 1993, Walker was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Her life story has been featured in books, documentaries, and the Netflix series Self Made. 

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