Madame CJ Walker the First Black Self-Made Millionaire
- Aditi Anand
- Oct 11, 2020
- 4 min read
Edited by Arushi Shyam
Some people may see being a billionaire as sugary and lush with lots of luxuries in life, but there is always a starting point for someone. Madame CJ Walker was not born in the hands of a millionaire, in fact it was the exact opposite. Despite the many downs in her life, she used all that to fuel her success in the future. If you want to know someone who made their way up the social ladder, like literally; meet Madame CJ Walker. The first African American and African American woman to become a self made black millionaire.
Madame CJ Walker’s background/early life
Rise to becoming an established self made millionaire
Mother roles? More like rules!
Being African American - using her position (one of the best things a millionaire can do)
Madame CJ Walker’s death and legacy
What was her early life like?
If only Madame CJ walker had known she was going to be one of the first black people to be a self made millionaire, things may have been different for her. Walker was born near a cotton plantation in 1867 under the name Sarah Breedlove. She was born into a family of slaves; however, just as she was born, her family was freed due to the emancipation proclamation. She was known as the first free child of her family, despite being the fifth child in the family. Due to unknown causes her parents passed away and left her astray. She was then sent to her sister’s house to live with them. She got married to Moses McWilliams only at 14 years old, but he left her at mere 20 years old. She wasn’t always a lucky person and her life always included some type of misery. She later moved to Mississippi where she was a household worker. Which only set her path to become a self made millionaire.
What did she do to become the well-known self made millionaire?
Walker created hair care products which she was inspired by due to her scalp and hair conditions. Her haircare products were what brought her to become known to society, it allowed her to make a name for herself. Due to her scalp problems she started experimenting with different home remedies, trying to make an improvement in her problem. Later she was hired by a black hair care entrepreneur-- Annie Turbo Malone. Walker moved to Colorado with only $1.05 in savings. Soon her hair care products became a big hit, especially with support by Charles J. Walker--who she met in college and eventually married. She rose to fame immediately and started traveling to boost her hair care products and give speeches and examples of the “Walker Method” which she created to help black women know how to take care of their scalp and head.
Being a mother, often known as one of the hardest jobs!
While Walker was married at 14 years old to McWilliams, she had a daughter named A’Lelia. Imagine having a child at 14 years old, then becoming a widow due to reasons that you were never informed of. That child needs a stable family, but only has a mother who is still very young and hasn’t fully matured yet. As well as the mother not having much money to support herself and her daughter. After becoming a widow, Walker moved to St. Louis, where she got a job as a washerwoman, which allowed her to earn just enough money to send her daughter to school. Walker would work during the day and go to night school whenever she had the time to attend. Walker put so much on her plate; being a mother, working for her daughter, and going to school. But her work paid off and it turned out to be all worth it as A’Lelia became a serious business woman as she helped with buying property in Harlem. It was all worth Walker’s hard work and her job as a strong mother figure in her daughter’s life.
Being unselfish despite what role she played in society
Walker used her platform by bringing importance for African American people. She not only helped by making proper hair care items/tools for African Americans, but she provided scholarships and houses to others. She also provided lots of opportunities for African American women to work rather than having the low paying and too much hard work going to waste such as maids, cooks, laundresses, farmhands. She constantly donated her money to African Americans associations. Additionally, she was politically active and spoke out about the killing of African Americans and was and advocate for women's rights in the military. Walker used her position in society not for her to benefit but to help others who were like her. She helped so many people and didn’t think twice to give back to the community and help the African American society.
Death and Legacy
Unfortunately everything comes to an end, especially people. Walker died at 51 years old in 1919 due to hypertension (also known as high blood pressure). In 1981, the manufacturing company stopped producing products altogether. But her line of products is still known and available today. One-third of Walker’s estate was left to her daughter and the others were donated to charity. Walker is known to be an innovative African American who came from a small community and made a large name for herself. She is also known for all the advocacy and hard work she put into promoting other African Americans. Walker worked on an arts center before her death, which turned into a cultural center which is now known as a National Historic Landmark. Lastly, Walker is recognized by being on the stamp for postal deliveries for representing black heritage.
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