Madam C.J. Walker

Hello, my name is Sarah Breedlove, though you probably know me by the name I later chose: Madam C.J. Walker. My story begins on December 23rd, 1867, on a cotton plantation in Delta, Louisiana. I was the first of my siblings to be born free, just a few years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. But freedom didn't mean life was easy. Both of my parents passed away by the time I was seven years old, and I went to live with my older sister. I didn't get to go to school much; instead, I worked in cotton fields and as a domestic servant. The work was hard, and my home life was difficult. To escape this situation, I decided to marry when I was just 14 years old. Soon after, I had a beautiful daughter I named Lelia. Being a mother gave me a new purpose and a powerful dream: to build a better life for her than the one I had known.

After my first husband died, Lelia and I moved to St. Louis in 1888. To support us, I worked as a laundress, scrubbing clothes day in and day out for more than a decade. It was back-breaking work for very little pay, but I was determined to make sure Lelia could get a good education, something I never had. During the 1890s, while I was working so hard, I faced a personal and distressing problem: I started losing my hair. Like many women at the time, I suffered from a scalp condition that was made worse by harsh soaps and a lack of access to clean, running water. I tried every product I could find, but nothing seemed to work. I learned about hair care from my brothers, who were barbers in St. Louis, and their knowledge sparked an idea. I started experimenting in my own kitchen, mixing ingredients and learning everything I could about what helped hair grow healthy and strong. I realized that if I could solve this problem for myself, I could help countless other Black women who were struggling with the same issue.

My journey took a new turn in 1905 when I moved to Denver, Colorado, seeking a fresh start. There, I began working as a sales agent for Annie Turnbo Malone, another inspiring Black woman who had her own hair care company. While working for her, I gained valuable experience in business, and I continued to perfect my own unique formula in my spare time. In 1906, my life changed again when I married a newspaper advertising salesman named Charles Joseph Walker. He was a wonderful partner who believed in my product and helped me with marketing and promotion. His name inspired my new professional identity. I decided to call myself 'Madam C.J. Walker.' It sounded distinguished and professional, a name that commanded respect. With my new name and my own special product, 'Madam Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower,' my business was officially born. I didn't have a big store or a factory; I started by selling my products door-to-door, personally demonstrating my 'Walker System' of hair care right in women's homes.

My business was about more than just selling hair products; it was about empowerment. As my company grew, I began recruiting and training other women to become sales agents, or 'Walker Agents,' as we called them. This program gave thousands of Black women an opportunity to earn their own money and gain financial independence at a time when good jobs were extremely scarce for them. My business grew so quickly that in 1910, I moved my headquarters to Indianapolis, a city with great railroad access that allowed me to ship my products all over the country and even beyond. There, I built the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, which grew to include a large factory, a beauty school to train my agents, and a research laboratory to develop new products. By 1913, my vision had gone global, and I was traveling to Latin America and the Caribbean to expand my business internationally. I wanted to show the world what a woman, a Black woman from the cotton fields of Louisiana, could achieve through determination.

Success, for me, was not just about making money; it was about what you could do with it to help others. I became a philanthropist, which means I donated money to causes I believed in. I gave generously to organizations like the NAACP and the Tuskegee Institute, and I funded scholarships to help young Black people go to college. I also used my influence to speak out against injustice and advocate for civil rights. I eventually moved to a beautiful home I designed in Irvington, New York, which I named Villa Lewaro. I lived to be 51 years old, and my life was fuller than I could have ever imagined. I am remembered not just for the business I built, but for the doors I opened for others. My story shows that with hard work, perseverance, and a dream, you can create your own success and lift up your community along the way.