Born with the name Sarah Breedlove to sharecropping parents, she had 4 older brothers and 1 older sister that were former slaves. Madam CJ was the only member of her immediate family that was born free.
BEFORE the ASCENSION
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BEFORE the NORTH STAR
Madam CJ’s parents passed away while she was a child. At the age of 14 she got married to escape abuse by her brother-in-law. When she was 20 her husband died, and she moved to St. Louis with her 2 year old daughter where several of her brothers lived and worked as barbers.
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BEFORE becoming ETERNAL
Madam CJ began to experience hair loss, which made her very interested in hair care and products. She became a commissioned agent for Annie Malone, a Black hair care entrepreneur and moved to Denver as a sales agent for Malone.
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ASCENSION
After marrying Charles Joseph Walker who teaches her about advertising and promotion. She changes her name to Madam C.J. Walker, and starts her own business called “Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower”.
By early 1910, she had settled in Indianapolis, then the nation’s largest inland manufacturing center, where she built a factory, hair & manicure salon, and another training school.
NORTH STAR
Before she died from complications of hypertension she was the wealthiest Black Woman in America.
Madam CJ helped create the role of the 20th Century self-made American businesswoman, established herself as a Pioneer and set standards in the African-American community for corporate and community philanthropy.
ETERNAL
Madam C.J. Walker's story embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. She was a trailblazer who defied societal expectations, transforming herself from a laundress with a dream into a self-made millionaire.
Her legacy is a reminder that innovation, hard work, and perseverance can overcome even the most challenging circumstances.
IMPACT