This Black History month, we want to celebrate the men and women who pushed past poverty and systemic racism to rise up and change the world. We’re giving you some free coloring book pages this month to help start these important discussions with your kids.
Today we celebrate Madam CJ Walker
Born Sarah Breedlove in 1867, Sarah was born to former slave parents and was orphaned at just 7 years old. He had a daughter with his first wife in 1885 and after her death he moved to Saint Louis. She worked as a washerwoman for $1.50 a day and attended night school where she met her husband, Charles J. Walker. Sarah has been dealing with hair loss for years and with very few products on the shelves aimed at black hair, she took matters into her own hands. Changing her name to Madam CJ Walker, Sarah invented Madam CJ Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower. He and his wife toured teaching men and women the “Walker Method” and eventually trained them to sell his products. Because of her success Madam CJ 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 be successful, independent entrepreneurs like her.
