Empowering Stories: The Legacy of Madam C.J. Walker

I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it. That is why I want to say to every Negro woman present: Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. You have to get up and make them for yourselves.

Said at the National Negro Business League Convention, 1914

In April 2020, I wrote an article titled Sarah Breedlove: Madam C.J. Walker. It explores Madam C.J. Walker’s life through the lens of the Netflix mini-series Self-Made, which tells her story in four episodes.

The series is based on On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, written by A’Lelia Bundles, Walker’s great-great-granddaughter. This biography is a comprehensive account of Walker’s life.

In June, she attended the presentation of Bundles’ latest book in Indianapolis, Indiana. During an interview, she shared that the series does not fully capture Madam Walker’s story. This made me reflect deeply, inspiring me to write another article about this powerful African American woman. Here are three key facts you should know about her:

1. Madam C.J. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove in Delta, Louisiana. Her parents, Owen and Minerva Anderson Breedlove, and her siblings Louvenia, Owen Jr., Alexander, and James, were all born into slavery. Sarah was the first freeborn member of her family.
2. She was the first African American woman to become a self-made millionaire in the United States. As an entrepreneur, she built a hair care product company worth billions, employing thousands of Black women and providing them with economic independence.
3. Walker was also an activist, philanthropist, and art lover. She supported many Black organisations and institutions. For example, in 1911, she donated $1,000 to the YMCA building project in Indianapolis. As an activist, she helped organise the Silent Protest Parade on New York’s Fifth Avenue on July 28, 1917, where women and children dressed in white and men wore dark suits.

Photos from the book: All about Madam C.J. Walker

What other facts do you know about Madam C.J. Walker? Share them!

References

Bundles, A. ( 2018). All About Madam C.J. Walker.

Bundles, A. Website. https://aleliabundles.com/

Green, S. ( 2025). Notes