Madam C. J. Walker

Madam C.J. Walker </a href>

Sarah Breedlove was born in Louisiana, on December 23, 1867. She grew up with her sister Louvenia on a cotton field. At age fourteen, Sarah married Moses McWilliams. She married him in order to get away from her step brother, who was very abusive. Sarah and Moses had a baby together and named her Lelia. When Lelia was just two, and Sarah was twenty, Moses passed away. Sarah was left to take care of Lelia by herself.

Sarah continued living her life after Moses died, and started a job as a washer woman. She also started to teach her daughter. Soon, her hair started to fall out. She believes it was from the poverty, bad nutrition, and the twisting and wrapping of her hair. She didn't know how to help it. One night she had a dream. Her dream was that there was a man pouring all of these ingredients together and showing her a mixture. The following morning, she tried these ingredients, and tested the product on her scalp. "My hair was coming in faster than it had ever fallen out."

Sarah used these ingredients, and created a very unique hair growth treatment. She started selling her items door-to-door, and advertising them in places such as lodges. As all of these big changes happened in her life, another member was added, her husband Charles Joseph Walker. He became her third husband in 1905. Charles was a newspaper writer, and a huge part of Sarah's life. After marrying Charles, she decided to change her name to Madam C.J. Walker. Charles was very helpful in the selling process of the newest products.

As Madam C.J. Walker's business continued to grow, she decided to transfer her business to Pittsburgh. Here, she opened Lelia College, where she taught men and women how to be "hair culturists." She was a great inspiration for many of her students at that college, as well as the next school that she started. In 1910, she moved to Indianapolis, where she opened a factory, a hair and manicure school, and another school. Madam C.J. Walker died in 1919. She was the first African-American to make one million dollars!

Madam C.J. Walker is my hero for so many reasons. She was a great person from the start. She took care of her child by herself, and started her own business. She was a great inspiration to many students, and motivated many women to take care of themselves, and to be proud of who they are. She fits my description of my hero because she was such a great inspiration for all women to do great things, and she made products for others to use. Her products were accessible to all. She was a wonderful person.