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EP's Page
Madame C. J. Walker
I have selected Madame C. J. Walker for my page in African American Women. I chose Ms. Walker because as a teenager, I remember seeing some of her products and being told that a black woman owned this company. Imagine that I thought! A black woman with her own line of hair and beauty products.
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Available Today, 2002
Amazingly, Ms. Walker's products are still sold in some cities today. There are two places in Memphis where you just might luck up on some of her products: Abe Schaab's on Beale Street is one location, and Champion's Pharmacy on Elvis Presley is the other.
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An Inspiration
Ms. Walker is certainly an inspiration to all African American women, particularly those of independent means. For women of color who aspire to own, operate, and manage their own businesses, Ms. Walker sets a prime example of what a woman can do if she sets her mind to success.
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Synopsis
Madame C. J. Walker
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Sarah Breedlove McWilliams Walker, better known as Madame C.J. Walker or Madame Walker, and Marjorie Joyner revolutionized the hair care and cosmetics industry early in the 20th century.
Madame Walker was born in 1867 in poverty-stricken rural Louisiana. The daughter of former slaves, she was orphaned at the age of seven and widowed by 20. After her husband's death, the young widow migrated to St. Louis, Missouri, seeking a better way of life for herself and her child. She supplemented her income as a washer woman and selling her homemade beauty products door-to-door.
Eventually, Madame Walker's products formed the basis of a thriving national corporation employing at one point over 3,000 people. Her Walker System, which included a broad offering of cosmetics, licensed Walker Agents, and Walker Schools offered meaningful employment and personal growth to thousands of Black women. Madame Walker's aggressive marketing strategy combined with relentless ambition led her to be labeled as the first known African-American woman to become a self-made millionaire.
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