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| "...we must not let our love of country, our patriotic loyalty cause us to abate one whit in our protest against wrong and injustice." |
BUSINESS HERO:
MADAM C.J. WALKER
by Alexandra from St.Paul
 I chose Madam C. J. Walker as a hero because I wanted to write about someone who most people have not heard about. Walker started her own business. It was the first hair-care products line specifically for African-American women. It became extremely successful. Madam Walker tried to help people by employing thousands in her business. She did not just try to get rich herself; she gave money to organizations that would help or encourage black Americans.
Madam C. J. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove on Dec. 23, 1867 in Louisiana, the first member of her family born free. After her business became successful, she built a huge house near the Hudson River in New York that everyone, including white people, talked about. She built the house to show people that if you sit and wait for a star to come to you, it is not going to come. So you should get up and make a star come to you.
At the National Negro Business League Convention in July, 1912, Walker said: "I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there, I was promoted to the washtub. From there, I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there, I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations....I have built my own factory on my own ground."
Madam Walker died at age 51 on May 25, 1919. She is the subject of a new biography by A'Lelia Bundles entitled On Her Own Ground.
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Walker was a keynote speaker at several NAACP conventions, and also made the biggest contribution ever given to the NAACP by a single person. She also left money in her will to many schools, organizations and other institutions. Her hair-care products showed black women that they could fulfill the ideal American image, but still show their unique heritage. |
Written by
Alexandra from St.Paul
Photos courtesy of the archives of Madam C.J. Walker. Images created by "On Her Own Ground" by A'Lelia Bundles. |
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National Women's Hall of Fame Tells the basic story of Madam C. J. Walker and gives some quick facts about her. Madam C.J. Walker, The Official Website An informative site about the entrepreneur, philantropist, and social activist. |
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Visitors interested in reading more should get:
The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker The TRUE STORY of MADAM WALKER'S LIFE by A'Lelia Bundle
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RECOMMENDED
READING | |
 Her Dream of Dreams: The Rise and Triumph of Madam C. J. Walker by Beverly Lowry |
 On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker by A'Lelia Bundles |
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| Alice Waters created the world famous Edible Schoolyard Project. | Andrew Carnegie let his heart and not his wealth guide him through life. | Anita Roddick is an activist for social and environmental change. | Bill Gates , co-founder of Microsoft, is devoted to humanitarian causes around the world. |
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| Dolores Olmedo Patino was a Mexican businesswoman, philanthropist, and art collector. | George Lucas , the creator of Star Wars, is both an artist and a business hero. | Henry Buhl started Project Comeback to help recovering homeless people find work. | Henry Ford introduced the world to a new era in personal transportation. |
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| Hiroshi Yamauchi was the inventor of Nintendo 64, the Gamecube, and Pokeman. | Irwin kept a dream and family bagel business alive | Jack Odell was an English engineer who invented the Matchbox car for his daughter. | James Rouse initiated the Enterprise Foundation to provide housing for low-income families. |
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| Jerry Yang co-founded Yahoo! Inc. | John Tu , founder of Kingston Technology is also a musician and a supporter of the Freedom Writers. | Madam C.J. Walker used her business success to fight discrimination and open doors for others. | Magic Johnson inspires others with his basketball talents and philanthropic work. |
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| Millard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity. | Milton S. Hershey made a fortune through his love of chocolate. | Muhammad Yunus started a bank for poor people in Bangladesh. | Nicholas Negroponte created a low-cost laptop for children in the developing world. |
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| Oprah was honored by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity . | Paul Newman through his comestibles, earns millions of dollars for charity. | Pleasant T. Rowland created the American Girls Collection. | Ray Anderson is a pioneer of environmental technologies. |
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| Robyn Van En worked to save organic farming businesses in North America. | Sally Fox produced a cotton that naturally comes in different colors. | Walt Disney was both a visionary artist and an entrepreneur. |
Last changed on:1/13/2007 11:13:33 PM
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