Born December 23, 1867, Madam CJ Walker promoted herself from an enslaved sharecropper into one of the most well known female entrepreneurs, activists, and philanthropists of the 21st century.
In the late 1890s early 1900s, while free and living on wages as little as 1.50 a day, Walker developed and began selling Madam Walker’s Magical Hair Grower, a remedy initially created for herself. Through persistent advertisement campaigns Walker created an empire, establishing in Indianapolis what was at the time the nation’s largest inland manufacturing center. In the 1910s Walker became increasingly interested in the political and social life of Harlem. There she became an active member in the civil rights movement. Using her success, Madam CJ Walker encouraged other women and people of color to seek self empowerment and political activism.
Her story is represented in the Netflix series “Self Made” as well as a variety of books. Madam CJ Walker stands for the political empowerment of African-Americans and women. She stands as a blueprint to the American business woman, a pioneer of the black hair-care industry, and a foundation in the black community for corporate and community support.