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Madam J Walker Biography

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Imagine growing up on a cotton plantation to former slaves in Delta, becoming an “orphan at the age of 7, becoming a wife at the age of 14, a mother at 17 and a widow at 20?” This all describes the early life of Sarah Breedlove, better known as Madam C.J Walker. “She supported her family by washing laundry and she used her earning as a laundress to pay for her daughter’s education at Knoxville College” .In 1889, Madam C.J Walker moved to St. Louis in search of a better future. She worked as “a saleswoman for a black hair-care entrepreneur named Annie Turnbo Malone who employed black women to sell her products door-to-door. After experiencing severe hair loss herself, Walker experimented with her own hair formulas” . Madam Walker …show more content…

Her business quickly expanded around many areas. “When Walker transferred her business operations to Indianapolis, the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company had become wildly successful, with profits that were the modern-day equivalent of several million dollars.” Madame C.J Walker was clearly an empowering woman. “Walker was as generous as she was successful, establishing a network of clubs for her employees and offering bonuses and prizes to those who contributed to their communities through charitable works. She promoted female talent” Madame Walker was setting a great example to the woman and to African Americans. Not only was Madame Walker a great entrepreneur, she was also part of many political contributions. “She became a strong advocate of Black women’s economic independence and her personal business philosophy stressed economic independence for all women.” We can observe how she used her wealth and her indulging words to make a change in the

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1914 Words | 8 Pages

Sarah also organized education centers for her sales force, research manufacturing and laboratories, and a beauty institute to teach her ‘hair culturists. Walker’s employees best known as ‘Walker Agents’ elevated Walker’s conception of ‘cleanliness and loneliness’ a way of shining light on the status of African-Americans ("Madame C. J. Walker"). An innovator, Walker coordinated clubs and meetings for her agents, but also big-hearted and informative attempts among African-Americans ("Madame C. J.

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559 Words | 3 Pages

During the 1800’s and 1900’s segregation was still going on and growing stronger over the year. Most African Americans were either working on plantations or working for others just to bet by and take care of their children. Sarah Breedlove McWilliams “Madam C.J. Walker” was born into a single parent household and ultimately lived a life of struggle but, still managed to become very successful in adulthood. Madam C.J. Walker is my Time’s Person of the Year because she changed African American hair forever, was the first black millionaire, and a global symbol to many American hair products and life.

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163 Words | 1 Pages

Born November 26, 1832 Mary E. Walker was an American Feminist, Abolitionist, Prohibitionist, Prisoner of War, as well as a Surgeon. In 1855 she earned her medical degree at Syacus Medical College in New York and started a medical practice. Her practice didn’t fair too well so she volunteered with the Union Army during the beginning of the American Civil War serving as a surgeon. She was captured by the Confederate Forces after crossing enemy lines to treat wounded civilian, and was arrested as a spy.

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978 Words | 4 Pages

Dr. Mary Walker was a female surgeon during the American civil war who would later become the only women to receive a Medal of Honor and would consistently be a major proponent and participant in the women’s liberation movement until her death. Her service to the country as the first female army surgeon paved the way for female military service and medical legitimacy. In her later years, she was a major actor in the women’s liberation movement by writing numerous essays on women’s rights, challenging gender norms, and testifying before Congress for suffrage. Although she was considered a radical, Dr. Walker’s life and personality made her a hero and a figure of women’s rights in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Dr. Walker was born in Oswego, New York, on November 26, 1832, to liberal, abolitionist parents.

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476 Words | 2 Pages

Walker, and Booker T. Washington. She mentions how Madam C.J. Walker made alliances with Booker T. Washington and Mary McLeod Bethune to make female entrepreneurship respectable through Colored Women’s Business Clubs and the inclusion of beauty culture curriculum at black colleges. “Annie Malone and Madam C.J. Walker diversified the black beauty industry to include not only the selling of products but also the selling of beauty, independence, and financial success. In many ways, their lives more than their products or beauty education systems reflected the challenges and opportunities that black women faced at the turn of the century and became the basis of their success” (pg. 19). Not only did these pioneers try to uplift themselves in the industry, but they also tried to spread knowledge and give an opportunity for financial growth to the people in their communities.

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627 Words | 3 Pages

Susan B. Anthony was born into a Quaker family, with the hope that everyone would one day be treated equal. She denied a chance to speak at a temperance convention because she was a woman(Susan B. Anthony). From this point on, she knew that she needed to make a change. Susan B. Anthony, because of her intense work involving women 's’ rights, highly influenced all of the societies and beliefs that were yet to come. She employed a huge role in our history because of the fact that she advocated for women’s rights, for the integration of women in the workforce, and for the abolition of slavery.

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318 Words | 2 Pages

This Ted Talk discusses the challenges African Americans who have naturally curly hair experience. It discusses how society tells people with curly hair that straight hair is prettier, and the effects on cultural identity of African American women today. Many women go to the hair salon to straighten their hair (which causes damage), or put weaves or wigs in. Today, African American women will straighten their hair, in order to achieve a professional look. Dreadlocks, Afrocentric/Pro-Black and urban hairstyles are look down upon.

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Chisholm responded by appealing to women voters to support her as a way of fighting discrimination against women.with the help of a strong grassroots campaign by women's organizations, Chisholm Beat farmer by substantial margin and became the first black woman in congress.(Morin pg3) “ Others believe that Shirley Chisholm didn't help the country because she didn't do much but when one reads articles and looks at the statistics she did amazing things to help America. like Shirley Chisholm did help decrease discrimination not just African Americans. However, shirley chisholm proved to be great leaders and trailblazer because “ Chisholm responded to Farmer by appealing to women voters to support her as a way of fighting discrimination against women with the help of a strong grassroots campaign by women's organization chisholm beat farmer by a substantial margin and became the first black women in congress” (Morin,pg3).

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808 Words | 4 Pages

By training and recruiting scores of "Walker Agents" to sell her products, she enabled literally thousands of black women to go into business for themselves at a time when the best most could hope for were menial jobs for low pay (Madam C.J. Walker,

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377 Words | 2 Pages

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche articulated: “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” Undoubtedly, this was a credo by which Sarah Breedlove, aka, Madam C.J. Walker lived her life. Madam Walker was born into a poverty stricken life which was all too familiar to African-American families in the later part of the 1800s. But the tragedies she encountered throughout her life never defeated her determination to succeed; in fact, those tragedies might have been the catalyst which catapulted her to become the first African-American female millionaire.

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457 Words | 2 Pages

In the short story Mama states: “Dee… at age sixteen had a style of her own: and knew what tyle was.” pg. 105. Dee knew what fashion was and wanted to pursue a career in the industry. On the other hand, we have Maggie.

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1288 Words | 6 Pages

Her tragedy reflects not only the sexism in the African American families in early 20th century, but also the uselessness

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2034 Words | 9 Pages

The 1920’s were a period filled with an overflow of social change and the literature of the time showcased this change, from the changing viewpoints on woman, to the voice of the black community gaining grounds, and the

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1335 Words | 6 Pages

“Motherhood is somewhat difficult for a slave like Roxy because children of slave women were legally slaves, regardless of the status of their fathers” (Rasmussen 199). Although her love for her child is unceasing, it is her decisions that, eventually, bring him into

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845 Words | 4 Pages

When Mama questions the family’s ability to run a business, Ruth replies, “Ain’t nobody business people till they go into business. Walter Lee say colored people ain’t never going to start getting ahead till they start gambling on some different kinds of things in the world - investments and things.” (42) Although Ruth probably does not agree with her husband’s plan, as an obedient wife of the 1950s, she backs

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