Summary
In the early 1900s, a former cook and laundress built a beauty empire that’s still around today. Madam C.J. Walker was born just a few years after Emancipation, orphaned at age seven, and a widowed mother by age 20. Laboring over a washtub, she decided she wanted much more for herself and her daughter. Misfortune opened the door: When her hair suddenly started falling out, she not only found a cure, she started selling it. And guess what? She was a sales genius! Walker would go on to found her own incredibly successful company. Over her lifetime, it employed hundreds of thousands of Black women just like her, giving them a leg up at a time when most had limited career options. Meanwhile, she became a generous donor to Black causes, and pointedly styled her life to showcase Black excellence.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Madam CJ Walker:
- What is one new thing you learned about madam cj walker?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining madam cj walker.
- Draw or give one example of your own.