Madam C.J. Walker

 

Who is she?

Madam C.J. Walker was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. She is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Background:

• First black female self-made millionaire.
• She was born in Louisiana on December 23rd, 1867.
• Her parents were sharecroppers.
• She was the fifth child.
• She was born free after the emancipation proclamation.
• She was orphaned at 6.
• She married at 14 and had a child at 18.
• She was widowed at 20.
• When her child was 2, she moved to St Louis.
• She worked as a laundress with night school - while being a mother.
• She met Charles J Walker - her second husband.

*Sharecropper - a tenant farmer who gives a part of each crop as rent.

How she started her business?

Walker experience hair loss because she worked as a laundress and was exposed to harsh lye soap, dirt and hot steam. She was not the only woman that experienced this. 

Families lived without indoor plumbing, which means that cleansing hair was not really an option. Things such as pollutants and lice; was left in the hair to damage the scalp. Also, their hair was not getting enough nutrients. 

Most of the products for Black hair products were owned by the white business. Assuming these businesses didn't really understand Black hair. People were forced to wear head wraps to cover up the patches of hair loss. 

Walker started to buy products and try different remedies. She came across Annie Turnbo's Poro line of hair care. Eventually, Walker grew to like the products and even became a sales agent.

She decided to start her own haircare line. She focused on the scalp as that was the main victim of the chemicals she was exposed to. 

Walker came up with a method known as the 'walker system' - which included a shampoo, a pomade, strenuous brushing, and applying iron combs to hair. 

Walker stressed the health of women while selling her product and would be selling her products herself. This allowed her to get loyal customers. 

She employed saleswomen to sell her product, she called them “beauty culturalists”.

Walker stopped working for Turnbo and started the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company started in 1906.

Her product was called 'the Wonderful Hair Grower'. The ingredients included precipitated sulfur, copper sulfate, beeswax, petrolatum (like petroleum jelly), coconut oil and a violet extract perfume to cover the sulfurous smell.

Controversy

Many people believe that she stole the idea from Turnbo, including Turnbo. However, looking at the bigger picture they both supported and help black women and men as they were being exposed to harsh products which were damaging.

The advice we should take from Walker

• Shampoo!!! Get rid of any dirt from your hair, including pollution.
• Looking after your scalp helps with hair growth. 

Source: History.com