Sarah Breedlove , later known as Madam C.J. Walker, was born to formerly enslaved sharecroppers and was orphaned at the tender age of seven years old. After struggling with hair loss, Walker decided to take matters into her own hands and develop products that would be beneficial to Black women.
About 50% of Black women struggle with some sort of hair loss. According to dermatologist, Dr. Crystal Ugochi Aguh, very little can be done to prevent hair loss that is genetic. This includes alopecia areata and female pattern hair loss.
Other types of hair loss can be caused by poor diet and stress. Dr. Aguh recommends taking care of your mental health to prevent this type of hair loss.
Walker identified the issue of hair loss in her community and wanted to do something to help fellow Black women, so she developed the “Walker system” of hair care. This was a specific formula that worked well with textured hair, something that was never seen before.
After selling her products on her own, Walker decided to employ third parties to sell her products for her. A skilled entrepreneur, Walker became a self-made millionaire.
After reaching millionaire status, she used her fortune to fund scholarships for women at the Tuskegee Institute and donated large parts of her wealth to the NAACP, the Black YMCA, and other charities.
Walker was married but became a widow at 20 years old. She, along with her 2-year-old daughter, A’Lelia, moved to St. Louis. There she met her second husband, Charles J. Walker.
