Black HerStory Month Day 5
Yayyy you’re back!!! So I KNOWWW you wanna know who today’s Queen is. Okayyyy, I’ll give you a clue! She is The First Self-Made BLACK, drum roll please MILLIONAIRE… did ya’ll hear me, I said MILLIONAIRE!! She’s a philanthropist, the creator of the Walker System for black hair! Have you figured it out yet??..Okayyyy i’ll tell you! It’s none other than the Queen herself, Mrs. Sarah Breedlove, better know as THE Madame CJ Walker! Netflix told a great deal of The Madame’s story in “Self Made” I do encourage you to watch it if you haven’t! As with many docu-drama’s certain aspects were embellished for climax purposes! But, nonetheless I think it gives you an idea of her life!
Humble Beginnings: The Madame, was born December 23, 1867 (making her a Capricorn! Shout out to ALL my Capricorns). To father Owen and Mother Minerva, both sharecroppers in Louisiana and both born into slavery. Sarah was the last of five children and FIRST to be born free following the Emancipation Proclamation. Growing up, Sarah’s life was ridden with hardship, from being a six year old orphan, then marring Moses McWilliams at fourteen, birthing a daughter ALelia at 18 and becoming a widow at twenty! For some, that would have been the end, but not for Madame! This Queen decided she and her daughter needed a change of scenery! The young Ms. Sarah and little Alelia moved to St Louis. While there, Madame juggled working in a laundry and going to night school! #BlackGirlMagic before it was a thing!! The Madame had a gorgeous voice, singing in the Choir of St. Paul AME Church! She later became an active member of the National Association of Colored Women! During her time in St. Louis, she met young man by the name of Charles J. Walker, her soon to be second husband and the inspiration of the name that would spark an empire and change the course of black hair forever!
Early Career: What sparked this revolution? Great question! The Madame developed The Walker System after a scalp disorder caused her to lose her hair. She gave women of color a step by step regimen to grow gorgeous, natural hair! From lotions to hot combs, to proper scalp preparation, she took the community by storm! Now, ya’ll remember earlier when I said that The Madame had a life full of hardships from hell, right? Ok, well, this here was no different! She was trying to develop a system marketed to black women, in a world dominated by products marketed toward black women, created by white business! Whew chile, I know right!! Although she was underestimated at every turn, ridiculed, and mocked, The Madame did not give up! She set her products apart by focusing on the hair health of women of color! The Madame found a target market amongst black women and gained a loyal fanbase from there! From there she only got better, hiring saleswomen, and choosing again, to change her surroundings! The Madame moved to Denver, with Charles following soon after! The two wed quickly after! From there she had a slew of success, and bumps too, but she still made it! Glossine, Wonderful Hair Grower, and Vegetable Shampoo yielded The Madame a great deal of success, and it also caused the end to her marriage. Even with her divorce, and the attempt to take her name, the Madame thrived, opening a beauty school and a factory! At it’s peak The Madame’s Company provided jobs to more than 3,000 people with a great number of those being her sales women!
Today: This queen has a reputation that can not be matched! We forever know the story of Madame C.J. Walker, and her impact on Black Women! She is a powerhouse of a woman and an inspiration to us all! On May 25, 1919 Madame died at her home at 51 from hypertension. But her legacy still lives on with Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture, and you can find her products at Sephora!
Where to Find More: If you want to learn more about this FANTASTIC QUEEN visit The Madame’s website here
Thank you Madame Walker for showing us that you don’t need a million to make a million! Thank you for being a trailblazer, an unmovable symbol of black womanhood, that force we needed and a name that will ring on the lips of little black girls forever!!
As always, thank you ALL for allowing me to share my passions with you and I hope that my blog inspires you to go after what you want and believe in yourself in every aspect, because I believe in you! Now strike your POWER POSE 🕺💃- We got this, NOW LET’S GET TO IT!!!
Keep Shining Loves
-💕 Jazz
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