Madame CJ Walker was born December 23,
1867. Her real name was Sarah Breedlove McWilliams Walker. She was one of the
first American women of any race to become a millionaire by herself. There were
already women with a million dollars, but she was the first to earn it. She even
owned a mansion, which is now a museum in Irvington, New York. Sarah was born on
a Delta, Louisiana plantation. She was the daughter of former slaves. Both of her
parents died when Sarah was young. Her mother died first. Her father remarried
and died before Sarah turned 8 in December 1872. She worked in the cotton fields
as a farm laborer and as a laundress around Vicksburg and Delta, Mississippi.
At fourteen she was married to Mr. McWilliams. Together they had a daughter
by the name of A'Lelia in 1885. When Sarah was twenty her husband died and she
and her daughter moved to St. Louis, Missouri.
In 1905, Sarah decided to enter the cosmetics business. But her business was
different than what you would expect. Instead of trying to straighten hair or
make it curly, she healed scalp disease by often using shampoo. Sometimes she
would use a hot comb but did NOT invent it. Still, she was the first person to
use these methods.
She died on May 25, 1919 of chronic interstitial nephritis, kidney failure and hypertension at the Villa
Lewaro estate in Irvington, NY.
Image courtesy of A'Lelia Perry Bundles at http://www.madamecjwalker.com/
Other site about Madame C. J. Walker
www.lib.lsu.edu/lib/chem/display/walker.html
www.beavton.k12.or.us/Vose/kidopedia/cjwalker.html
www.madamecjwalker.com
2000, by Megan, fourth grade
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