Black History Month: Madam C.J. Walker

This Black History month we want to celebrate the men and women who pushed past adversity and systematic racism to rise above and change the world. We will be providing you with some free coloring book pages this month to help kickstart these important discussions with your kids.

Today we celebrate Madam C.J. Walker

Born Sarah Breedlove in 1867, Sarah was born to former enslaved parents and was orphaned at just 7 years old. She had a daughter with her first husband in 1885 and after his death she moved to Saint Louis. She got work as a washerwoman for $1.50 a day and attended night school where she met her husband Charles J. Walker. Sarah was dealing with hair loss for years and with very little products on the shelves aimed towards black hair, she took matters into her own hands. Changing her name to Madam C.J. Walker, Sarah invented Madam C.J. Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower. She and her husband traveled around teaching men and women the "Walker Method" and later training them to sell her products. Because of her success Madam C.J. Walker became the first Black female self-made millionaire in the United States.

Madam Walker was an activist and a philanthropist who paved the way for Black women in America and proved that they could become successful, independent entrepreneurs just like her.