Madam CJ Walker’s name is synonymous with hair care and beauty products and for good reason. As one of the first African-American entrepreneurs to achieve great success in the early 1900s, Madam CJ Walker’s legacy lives on today through her innovative hair products.

Her original hair products were created to meet the unique needs of African-American women, who struggled to find products that worked for their hair types. Madam CJ Walker’s products were not only effective, but they were also affordable and accessible, making them a game-changer in the beauty industry.

Who Was Madam C.J. Walker?

^{Madam C.J. Walker was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, political and social activist. Sarah Breedlove, originally, was born on December 23, 1867, not far from Delta, Louisiana. She was the first child in her family born into freedom after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.}

^{The Guinness Book of World Records lists Madam C.J Walker as the first female self-made millionaire in America. Her success came from creating and selling a line of cosmetics and hair care items. These were specifically designed by Walker Manufacturing Company for women of color, which was a company she started.}

^{In 1888, Sarah Breedlove moved to St. Louis with her only daughter Lelia McWilliams, from her first marriage to Moses McWilliams. After arrival she found work as a laundress, earning barely more than a dollar a day. Can you imagine how much a dollar a day was back in those times? According to research, $1 in 1880 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $29.10 today. That is recorded as an increase of $28.10 over 143 years.}

^{Due to skin conditions and the use of harsh products to wash her clothes and clean her hair, Sarah developed severe dandruff and other scalp conditions, including baldness. Poor diet, illnesses, and infrequent bathing and hair washing at a time when the majority of Americans lacked indoor plumbing, central heating, and electricity were additional causes of her hair loss. Initially, Sarah learned about hair care from her brothers, who were barbers in St. Louis.}

^{She started working as a commission sales agent for Annie Malone around the time of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904). African-American hair care entrepreneur and millionaire Annie Malone was the head of the Poro Company. Due to the lack of attention given to the African-American community, the exposition’s sales were disappointing.}

Madam C.J. Walker Product Production

^{Sarah started using her newfound knowledge to create her own product line while working for Annie Malone. In July 1905, Sarah and Leila moved to Denver, Colorado. She continued to promote Annie’s goods there as she built her own hair care company. Later on, a controversy developed between Annie Malone and Sarah. Annie had reason to think Sarah had stolen her formula and used it to create her own line. She developed her first product, Madam C. J. Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, in 1906. The alleged original ingredients are “precipitated sulfur, copper sulfate, beeswax, petrolatum (like petroleum jelly), coconut oil, and a violet extract perfume.” Annie Malone would later become Madam C.J Walker’s largest rival in the hair-care industry.}

^{In 1906, Sarah Breedlove married Charles Joseph Walker solidifying her third marriage. He was employed as a newspaper ad salesman during that time. Her new name, Madam C. J. Walker, came about as a result of this marriage. She advertised herself as a freelance hairdresser and cream retailer. Her business partner and husband offered suggestions for advertising and promotion.}

^{While demonstrating how to groom and style hair for other black women, Sarah also sold her products door to door. While she and Charles traveled across the southern and eastern United States to expand their business, Leila was in charge of the mail-order operation in Denver.}

Business Expansion

^{She and Charles moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1908. They established Lelia College and a beauty salon after arriving in order to educate “hair culturists.” She established training programs in the “Walker System” for her nationwide network of licensed sales agents who received generous commissions as an advocate for the economic independence of black women.}

^{A’Lelia joined her in Pittsburgh in 1907 after closing the company in Denver. Madam C.J. Walker established a new base in Indianapolis in the year 1910. A’Lelia was in charge of overseeing daily operations in Pittsburgh. In 1913, A’Lelia also persuaded her mother to open a business and beauty parlor in the rapidly developing Harlem neighborhood of New York City, which later became a hub of African-American culture.}

^{Madam C.J. Walker moved her companies to Indianapolis in 1910, where she established the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company’s headquarters. Later, she added a laboratory to aid in research while also constructing a factory, hair salon, and beauty school to train her sales agents. Her grooming methods were created to encourage hair growth and condition the scalp. The regimen included a shampoo, a hair-growth pomade, vigorous brushing, and hot combs. The treatment was created to soften and luxuriate dry, brittle hair.}

^{Along with providing training in sales and grooming, Madam C.J. Walker also taught other women of color how to establish their own businesses, manage their finances, and promote financial independence. In 1917, she began assembling her salespeople into regional and national clubs. Her movement was influenced by the National Association of Colored Women. The National Beauty Culturists and Benevolent Association of Madam C. J. Walker Agents was subsequently established as a result. (American Madam C. J. Walker Beauty Culturists Union’s predecessor).}

Is Madam C.J. Walker Still Alive?

^{At the age of 51, Madam C.J. Walker passed away on May 25, 1919, from complications related to hypertension and kidney failure. Her remains are buried in New York City’s Bronx’s Woodlawn Cemetery. Her $250,000 mansion on the Hudson River in Irvington was completed that same year, according to the obituary. Later, A’Lelia Walker, her daughter, rose to the position of president of Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing.}

^{Madam C. J. Walker’s lavish estate in Irvington, New York, served as a social gathering place for the African-American community. At the time of her death, she was considered the wealthiest African-American businesswoman and the wealthiest self-made black woman in America.}

What Happened To Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing?

Sundial Brands purchased Madam C.J. Walker Enterprises in 2013. The first relaunch of the Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture took place in 2016. Then once again in 2019 with a line that now offers eight new products. Of course, the formula has been altered to accommodate the growing trends in hair care, but the agenda remains unchanged. You can purchase these products at your local department or beauty supply store.