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SBU | Culture

Madam Millionaire: CJ Walker’s Story

Katie Squires Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

America’s first self-made millionaire in America. 

That’s an attention-grabbing headline. 

Last week, I was browsing for shows to watch on Netflix. In a world of short attention spans and overwhelming content, a Netflix video preview rarely grabs my attention. 

But that changed. After just a short, several-second video trailer, I knew the next series I had to watch immediately: “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker”. 

The Netflix mini-series stars Octavia Spencer as Madam C.J. Walker, the first American woman to become a self-made millionaire. Walker built a business empire based on beauty and hair care for Black women after her own personal struggle with hair growth as a Black woman. 

This show spoke to my soul for several reasons. Firstly, I love learning about strong and outspoken women throughout history. Walker overcame social, racial, and gender prejudices to develop and market a product that she believed in. Walker herself had struggled with hair loss in her early adult life, likely a result of the harsh chemical products at the time. Walker crafted a genius sales pitch by linking Black women’s hair to their femininity and confidence. When she started selling door to door and at fairs, Walker spoke directly to Black women looking to reclaim their beauty and womanhood following recent emancipation. Walker’s pitch lay on the premise that healthy, beautiful hair equaled opportunity for Black women. 

As a student studying business and marketing myself, I was impressed by Walker’s strategy and marketing tactics, especially in the 1890s. Walker began as a saleswoman for another haircare line, sold by mogul Annie Malone. Malone and Walker had a falling out, in which Malone essentially told Walker she would never be successful on her own, especially “because of how she looked”. 

Walker took Malone’s bitter words and used them as fuel to start her own business, a business that would ultimately break Guinness World Records. Walker had overcome countless obstacles with the business, family dynamics, and her own tumultuous love life all while working to build a haircare empire. 

Walker’s story is so powerful because it combines so many elements of a success story. Madam CJ Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower demonstrates an underdog story, a feminist movement, a trailblazer for Black women in business, and overall an objectively outstanding sales tactic. 

There is a lot we can do during Women’s History Month to honor the women who have changed the world before us. If I could recommend you do one thing, it would be to watch this docuseries on Netflix. This was one of those stories that made me proud to be a woman. I was left with chills after watching the four episodes. I would love to be a successful woman in sales/business, the type that would make Madam CJ Walker proud. 

Katie is a Junior at St. Bonaventure University. She is an executive board member for Her Campus at SBU. Her experience with social media, advertising, and writing allow her to combine her passions and advance her university's chapter of HC. She has been a part of Her Campus since freshman year. It has been her favorite on-campus extracurricular to become involved with. Katie is currently studying Strategic Communication and Marketing. She finds joy in being involved on campus through various organizations including Her Campus and Jandoli Women in Communication. Katie is both an Orientation Leader and a Peer Coach- she loves welcoming new students and helping them transition to college. She is also a full-time student ambassador who enthusiastically leads tours for prospective students. (Request her as your tour guide!) In her free time, you can find Katie reading, hiking, and laughing with her friends. She loves spending time outdoors, especially in the fall. Her kryptonite is iced coffee. Some of her favorite artists include Chris Stapleton, Fleetwood Mac, and Noah Kahan. Her favorite show is New Girl. Katie will eagerly engage in any conversation about her beloved hometown, Buffalo, New York. She will likely attempt to convert you to become a Buffalo Bills fan, and could talk about Josh Allen for hours. Post-grad, Katie hopes to be using her creative talents towards a fulfilling career in the world of corporate communications and events.