Madam C.J. Walker
Hair Care Millionare
biographical
Madam C.J. Walker
By: Abby Pickard
Would you be a hair care billionaire like Madam C.J Walker ( Sarah Breedlove). Sarah Breedlove McWilliams Davis Walker (known as Madam C.J. Walker) was born December 23, 1867 in a cabin in Delta, Louisiana. When she was three years old she worked with her parents Owen and Minerva in a small field slavery had just ended and they were trying to stock up on food and money. When Sarah was five her mom (Minerva) died. Then when Sarah was seven her dad (Owen) died because disease was spreading fast . Sarah became an orphan , but her sister Louvenia adopted her. Sarah knew the man who was married to her sister wasn’t a nice man, he forced Sarah to get a job. She worked as a white person’s clothes washer. Sarah wanted to get away from her sister’s husband so she decided to get married to Moses McWilliams at fourteen years old. Then not to long after she had her one and only child, Lelia. Moses died when Lelia was three years old. Sarah wanted a better life, so she set off in a steamboat to St. Louis, Missouri. She went because three of her brothers lived there. In St. Louis, Sarah continue as a clothes washer for some time. But washing clothes stung her eyes, burned her skin , and gave her serious scalp problems. She was inspired by the problems she was having, so she started experimenting with oils and vegetables for hair products . She was always interested in hair from a young age, and she wanted women to have safe products to use for their hair. Finally her products were ready to sell , she went door to door selling products. She got married to Charles Joseph Walker, but she got a divorce soon after because Charles was a lazy man who made Sarah do all the work. She kept the name however, and ever since then she was known as Madam C.J. Walker. She helped Lelia adopt a girl named Mae and she had long thick hair so soon she would be a model. She gave Lelia her company so she could travel more. On May 25 she died 1919 in Hudson New York.
contributions
Sarah is known in history as a millionaire and inventor. One of her products was a wonderful hair hair grower that would help hair grow and make your hair thick and long. She also taught women how to eat healthy and have a good life style. She also taught them how to use her products. She grew her business in Indiana and hired women to work for her. She went city to city trying to win them over people with her products. She soon became the richest african american in the United States. And ever since then people called her products a hot brand. Madam’s business started at $8,782 in1908 and every year it grew more
character traits
Sarah had many qualities that helped her be the unique woman she was. She was a leader to many African American women for teaching them they could have a good life and take care of themselves. She then had the courage to open her own hair salon, she hired people and called them sales agents.