Madam C.J. Walker
BEAUTY THERAPIST/ENTREPRENEUR
(1867 - 1919)
Born Sarah Breedlove in 1867, to enslaved parents,
Madam Walker would become the first ever black
female millionaire in America. She was inspired to
create her incredibly successful hair products after an
experience with hair loss, which led to the "Walker
system" of hair care. A talented entrepreneur with a
knack for self-promotion, Walker built a business
empire, at first selling products directly to Black women,
then employing "beauty culturalists" to hand-sell her
wares. She not only catered to Black women, she
supported them, at one point employing over 3000,
predominantly African American females, at a time
when their opportunities were very limited. Walker was
generous, donating large sums of money to causes
supporting Black Americans, such as the NAACP. Her
haircare legacy lives on today, available in Sephora
stores across America. She is remembered as an
innovative Black woman, who worked hard to support
and make life better for her community.
Martha Matilda Harper
BEAUTY THERAPIST/ENTREPRENEUR
(1857 - 1950)
Born in 1857, Martha became a servant age 7
and worked in that role for 25 years, finally
working for a holistic physician who
bequeathed her his hair tonic formula when he
died. Martha worked on the formula, refining it
until she had enough money to launch her
business: a hair salon where she could
promote her tonic. Many of the techniques and
principles of her salon exist in today's modern
salon. She also established beauty training
schools in Rochester, Atlanta, Madison and
Calgary. Her philosophy included a belief that
beauty was based in good health, and that
every person was beautiful. Her products were
all organic. Martha was a true visionary and
will always be remembered for showing
servants that they too could achieve the
'American Dream'.
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