The Evil 1%: Madame C.J. Walker

I'd like to introduce you to one of my heroes:  Sarah Breedlove, later known as Madame C.J. Walker.

Like many women of her era, Sarah experienced hair loss. Because most Americans lacked indoor plumbing, central heating and electricity, they bathed and washed their hair infrequently. The result was scalp disease. Sarah experimented with home remedies and products already on the market until she finally developed her own shampoo and an ointment that contained sulfur to make her scalp healthier for hair growth.

Soon Sarah, now known as Madam C. J. Walker, was selling her products throughout the United States. While her daughter Lelia (later known as A'Lelia Walker) ran a mail order business from Denver, Madam Walker and her husband traveled throughout the southern and eastern states. They settled in Pittsburgh in 1908 and opened Lelia College to train "hair culturists." In 1910 Walker moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where she established her headquarters and built a factory.

She began to teach and train other black women in order to help them build their own businesses. She also gave other lectures on political, economic and social issues at conventions sponsored by powerful black institutions. After the East St. Louis Race Riot, she joined leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in their efforts to support legislation to make lynching a federal crime. In 1918 at the biennial convention of the National Association Of Colored Woman (NACW) she was acknowledged for making the largest contribution to save the Anacostia (Washington, DC) house of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. She continued to donate money throughout her career to the NAACP, the YMCA, and to black schools, organizations, individuals, orphanages, and retirement homes.

As the child of former slaves, Madame Walker had the right to complain about slavery.  As a Black person in that era, Madame Walker had the right to complain about racism.  Dying before women even had the right to vote, Madame Walker had the right to complain about "the Patriarchy."

But she apparently decided that sitting on her ass and complaining would have gotten in the way of her actually accomplishing something, and we can all see how her decision turned out.  I urge my readers (especially you '99%ers' who obviously stumbled upon this blog through your favorite Lefitst website's "Asshole Of The Month" link) to study this fascinating woman in detail.  Madame Walker is a quintessential personification of what America is all about.

God bless and keep your soul, Madame Walker.  You are a true inspiration to us all.