Harlem Renaissance

Harlem Renaissance Madame C. J. Walker

Madame C. J. Walker • "I got my start by giving myself a start." - Madame CJ Walker • revolutionized the hair care and cosmetics industry

Entrepreneur • Sarah Breedlove McWilliams Walker, better known as Madame CJ Walker or Madame Walker, and Marjorie Joyner revolutionized the hair care and cosmetics industry for African American women early in the 20th century.

Entrepreneur • , Madame C. J. Walker(1867 – 1919) was America's first self-made woman millionaire and she helped style the Harlem Renaissance. She did this after growing up poor in Louisiana as the daughter of parents who had been slaves. • "I got my start by giving myself a start." - Madame CJ Walker • As the wealthiest African-American woman of her time, Walker used her prominent position to oppose racial discrimination, and her massive wealth to support civic, educational and social institutions to assist African-Americans.

In New York on the Hudson River in 1917, she had a 34-room mansion built and designed by the African American architect, Vertner Woodson Tandy. She financially backed black artists, writers and activists and helped thousands of working-class black women to become economically self-sufficient.

Mme. Walker developed Vegetable Shampoo, Wonderful Hair Grower, Vanishing Cream, and other beauty products for black women. She endorsed the products to meet the hair styles of that time period, but she did not compromise on helping to improve the lives of blacks of all ages. She offered black women a chance to get ahead through the Walker College of Hair Culture. She led protests to disagree with the segregation of the military. By 1916, Walker employed 20,000 black women as agents throughout the country. They made more in one week than they had previously made in a month.

Questions to answer • 1. This story is a short biography talking about? • A. Harriet Tubman • B. Raven Baxter • C. C. J. Walker • D. Bill Cosby

2. She was born in 1867. She grew-up poor in what state? • A. North Carolina • B. Louisiana • C. Georgia • D. Alabama

3. She invented products like? • A. Vanishing Crème • B. Vegetable Shampoo • C. Wonderful Hair Grower • D. All of the above

4. C. J. Walker helped a lot of black women through a college named? • A. University of North Carolina • B. Walker College of Hair Culture • C. Nash Community College • D. College for Women

5. You can gather from this article that success is possible for? • A. Whites who try to better themselves • B. Blacks who try to better themselves • C. Indians who try to better themselves • D. Anyone who tries to better themselves

6. Which of the statements below is an opinion and not a fact from the article? • A. C. J. Walker was a millionaire. • B. C. J. Walker invented hair products. • C. Men could sell her products better than women. • D. C. J. Walker built a 34-room mansion.

7. Entrepreneur is a word that describes C. J. Walker. What does it mean? • A. A risk-taker who has the skills and initiative to establish a business. • B. A person who combs their hair. • C. Someone who needs others to start a business for them.

Harlem Renaissance