February 2nd, 2021

Born Sarah Breedlove in Delta, Louisiana, in 1867, the daughter of sharecroppers, she was the first child in her family to be free-born. After being married at 14 and widowed by 20, Walker, by now a mother of a 2-year-old daughter, moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where her brothers had established themselves as barbers. It was from them that she received early lessons in treating the scalp.

Madam C.J. Walker invented a line of African American hair products after suffering from a scalp ailment that resulted in her own hair loss. She promoted her products by traveling around the country giving lecture-demonstrations and eventually established Madame C.J. Walker Laboratories to manufacture cosmetics and train sales beauticians. Her business acumen led her to be one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire. She was also known for her philanthropic endeavors, including a donation toward the construction of an Indianapolis YMCA in 1913. Walker's life was portrayed in the 2020 TV show Self Made, with Octavia Spencer portraying Walker.

Trailer from TV Show, “Self Made”: