Where would the hair industry for Black women be without the work of Madam C.J. Walker? As we press our hair, add curling creams, and deep condition, Walker’s legacy continues to ring. The bell rings an everlasting production that has caused Black women, in togetherness, to explore and care for our coils — curling, highlighting, pressing, blow drying, locing, using wash-n-go methods, etc. Let us praise the work of Walker.
Walker, a native of Delta, Louisiana, and born in 1867, championed to be the woman that she became. She had an inward tug that made her pursue ambitions beyond her initial circumstances and wildest dreams as an orphaned child who lost her mother and father early in her life. She had a forward focus that she hoped would outweigh her tragic upbringing. In addition to the trauma of her parents’ passing, she faced both her abusive brother and abusive husbands. Walker had a lot of obstacles that could have stunted her growth if she’d let it — instead, she pursued more.
With limited resources and no hair styling tools, Walker worked in a humbling position as a laundress. She faced her own hair care issues of dandruff and other scalp ailments and learned that she had to find a way to upkeep her hair. She began working for Annie Malone, an entrepreneur in the hair industry that later would become her rival. After working for Malone, Walker ventured out and started her own hair care line.
The latter years of Walker’s life were greater than her former years. At age 37 in 1905, she started a haircare business that was designed to promote hair growth. Her products included shampoo, oil, hair grower, and hot combs. From there, she found great success in Pennsylvania, Indiana, New York, and Colorado. Her success was found in the thousands of sales agents she acquired, advertisements in African-American newspapers, and mentorship for women in business.
Through her committed work to the hair industry, she became the wealthiest Black woman of her time. She obtained between half a million to a million dollars. Her business continued generating money long after she passed away and expanded to other parts of the world including Jamaica, Haiti, and Costa Rica. Walker was truly a woman of wealth, legacy, and remembrance.
Walker’s life showcases a life of resilience, ambition, and achievement. She recovered from a plethora of tragedies, accumulated wealth, and became one of the most revered women in Black history. Her life is a testament to what can be done with grit, passion, and purpose. When we comb our hair in the morning or deep condition our hair at night, the bell continues to ring off the legacy of the late Walker.