The Legacy of Madame C.J. Walker: A Trailblazer in Hair Care and Empowerment
- Shira Sneed
- Jul 22
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 7
Today, hair care and cosmetics make up a multibillion-dollar industry. This industry brought success to the first well-documented female millionaire in America, Madame C.J. Walker. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, she achieved remarkable financial success. By the time she passed away on May 25, 1919, at the age of 51, her business had an annual revenue of $500,000. Additionally, her New York real estate was valued at $700,000.
Early Life and Marriages
In 1906, Madame C.J. Walker married her third husband, Charles Joseph Walker, while living in Denver, Colorado. Her first marriage was to Moses McWilliams when she was just fourteen years old. Tragically, she became a single mother and widow at the age of twenty when he passed away. She married again in 1894 to John Davis. Her romantic relationship with Charles Joseph Walker began while she was still married to John. After their divorce, she continued to use the name Madame C.J. Walker.
The Birth of a Business
Madame C.J. Walker's business endeavors began at 2410 Champa Street in Denver, Colorado. This is where she started advertising her hair-care products in the Statesman in May 1906. In 1904, while in St. Louis, Missouri, she worked as a sales agent for a hair care company run by Annie Turnbo Pope Malone. After relocating to Denver in 1905, she continued to work for Malone as a remote agent, promoting the products just as she did her own.
At a time when most hair care products contained harmful chemicals, she developed gentler and more effective treatments for African American hair. This included products for women suffering from alopecia, like herself. The inspiration for her products is said to have come to her in a dream while living at 1615 Linden St, St. Louis, Missouri. However, a more plausible explanation is that her products resulted from her experimentation while working as a hairdresser and sales agent for Annie Turnbo Pope Malone.
One of her notable products was “Madame C.J. Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower.” This was part of a larger system that included scalp preparations, lotions, and iron combs. While she did not invent the hot comb, her company produced over eighteen products that emphasized hair health. These included Glossine and Vegetable Shampoo.
Her success stemmed from her ability to build rapport and maintain loyal customers. She traveled across America with around 25,000 trained sales agents, known as “beauty culturists.” They marketed her products through presentations, newspaper advertisements, mail orders, and door-to-door sales.
Education and Empowerment
In 1908, Madame C.J. Walker opened the Lelia College of Beauty Culture in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Named after her daughter, A’Lelia, the school provided professional and financial opportunities to African Americans. It trained individuals to become licensed “beauty culturists” who would sell products from the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company. The business was listed in the 1909 black business directory at 2518 Wylie Ave.
In 1910, the headquarters for Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company opened in Indianapolis, Indiana. From 640 N West Street, products were shipped to Walker’s “Beauty Culturists” throughout America. She believed in the economic empowerment of African Americans. Her company allowed black women to serve in executive positions at a time when segregation and discrimination created significant racial tensions due to Jim Crow laws.
A Visionary Leader
In August 1912, Madame C.J. Walker delivered a speech titled “I Hope You Will Catch the Inspiration” to the National Negro Business League at their 13th Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois. In this speech, she shared her humble beginnings. “I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. Then I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations.”
Born Sarah Breedlove to former slaves Owen and Minerva, she was the first in her family not born into slavery. She grew up during a time when Reconstruction was failing, and her parents became sharecroppers after being emancipated. Orphaned at age seven, she went from working as a washerwoman in St. Louis for $1.50 per day to having a net worth of over $1 million at her death.
Her business success allowed her to send her daughter, A’Lelia, to Knoxville College in Tennessee. Before More than a Pink Cadillac provided nine keys to success based on the business model of Mary Kay Ash and Mary Kay Inc., the Key to Beauty Success Happiness was available through the C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company. The company officially ceased operations in 1981. However, her legacy continues.
The United States Postal Service issued the Madame C.J. Walker Stamp in 1998. Additionally, the Madame C.J. Walker Barbie was released by Mattel on August 24, 2022. The Netflix mini-series, Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, starring Octavia Spencer, is loosely based on the book written by her great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles titled On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker.
Conclusion: A Lasting Impact
Madame C.J. Walker's story is one of resilience, innovation, and empowerment. Her contributions to the beauty industry and her commitment to uplifting her community have left an indelible mark. The phrase "empowerment through beauty" encapsulates her vision and legacy. Today, her products continue to inspire and empower individuals, reminding us of the importance of self-care and self-love.
Works Cited
Bundles, A’Lelia, On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (2001)
Jean-Philippe, McKenzie, “What Self Made Got Right-and Wrong-About Madam C.J. Walker”, Oprah Daily, (Mar. 24, 2020), https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a31484263/madam-cj-walker-facts/ Accessed January 29, 2023
Kelland, Lara and Lindsay Davis. "Madam C.J. Walker House." Clio: Your Guide to History. (April 7, 2020) https://theclio.com/tour/1376/13 Accessed January 29, 2023
Mae, Tara, “Madam C.J. Walker: Beauty Maven, Benevolent Millionaire”, Three Village Historical Society, (Aug. 9, 2022), https://www.tvhs.org/post/madam-c-j-walker-beauty-maven-benevolent-millionaire Accessed January 29, 2023
Mullins, Paul R, “Affluence and Community at the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company”, Black Perspectives, AAIHS, (May 23, 2019), https://www.aaihs.org/affluence-and-community-at-the-madam-c-j-walker-manufacturing-company/ Accessed January 29, 2023
Robinson, A'Lelia Walker, The Key to Beauty, Success, Happiness: Mme. C.J. Walker's Products, C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company, 1940, https://digital.hagley.org/TC_M1741940#page/1/mode/2up Accessed January 29, 2023
Underwood, Jim, More Than a Pink Cadillac: Mary Kay Inc.’s Nine Leadership Keys to Success. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=81231&site=ehost-live&scope=site Accessed January 29, 2023
Walker, Madam C.J., “I Hope You Will Catch the Inspiration”, 13th Annual Convention of the National Negro Business League, Institutional Church, Chicago IL, (August 23, 1912), https://speakingwhilefemale.co/business-walker/ Accessed January 29, 2023
Walker, Madam C.J., “Early Ad”, The Statesman, (Denver, Colo.: May 25, 1906), 13, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46187064/early-ad-by-madam-cj-walker-for-hair/ Accessed January 29, 2023
Walker, Madam C.J., “Roberts & Pope Poro hair treatment Ad”, The Statesman, (Denver, Colo.: May 04, 1906), 7, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46186844/ad-by-madam-cj-walker-for-poro/ Accessed January 29, 2023
“First self-made millionairess”, Guinness World Records, https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-self-made-millionairess Accessed January 29, 2023
“Madam C.J. Walker”, Women on Stamps: Part 2, Smithsonian National Postal Museum, https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/women-on-stamps-part-2-professionals-and-philanthropists-enhancing-lives/madam-cj-walker Accessed January 29, 2023
“Madam C.J. Walker”, History Channel, (Oct. 29, 2009), https://www.history.com/.amp/topics/black-history/madame-c-j-walker Accessed January 29, 2023
“Madam C.J. Walker Barbie Inspiring Women Doll”, Mattel (2022) https://shop.mattel.com/products/madam-cj-walker-barbie-inspiring-women-doll-hlm19 Accessed January 29, 2023
“Madam C.J. Walker Park”, Denver Park Trust, (2020), https://denverparktrust.org/madamcjwalker/ Accessed January 29, 2023
“Villa Lewaro (Madam C.J. Walker Estate)”, Irvington, New York, National Trust for Historic Preservation, (1918), https://savingplaces.org/places/villa-lewaro-madam-c-j-walker-estate Accessed January 29, 2023
Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, Netflix, (2020)
