Word meanings: history 5

Madam C. J. Walker, Self-Made Millionaire

1. One day, Sarah Breedlove noticed something distressing—her beautiful thick black hair was falling out. She wasn’t sure what to do. It was the early 1900s and hair-care products were limited, and products designed for African American hair were basically nonexistent. Therefore, she dove headfirst into finding a solution—not only for herself, but for other women that searched for an answer.
2. Sarah asked her brothers (who were barbers) for ideas. She tried mixing the few available store items with her own remedies. With the help of her husband Charles, she created a new treatment. This was the start of something great! Sarah called her treatment the “Walker System” and changed her name to Madam C. J. Walker. She promoted her product by going door-to-door. At first it was hard. Not everyone supported her. They weren’t used to seeing a woman run her own business. Walker didn’t give up. She gave demonstrations in churches. She went to homes. She showed her product everywhere she could. Later, Walker said, “I got my start by giving myself a start.”
3. Women loved the treatment, and Walker’s business grew. Soon, she became the richest self-made American woman alive. She didn’t stop there. Walker believed in empowering others. As a result, she trained women to sell her product. In doing this, she developed a successful network of sales representatives. Walker’s desire to help others gave economic independence to hundreds of African American women. These women were now able to buy homes, pay for their kids to go to school, and live better lives.
4. Later, Walker opened a beauty college, donated money to organizations like the YMCA, and created scholarships for students to go to school. Walker supported orphanages, retirement homes, and equal rights groups. Walker died in 1919. She donated two-thirds of her fortune to African American charities.