Courtney Alsbrook Essays (593 words) - American Women In Business

Courtney Alsbrook Dr. Alexander AWS 2500 December 18th 2017 Historical Analysis: Madame CJ Walker In the history of Black women, many have been came, and many have triumphed. Of those many, only few are held in the highest regard. These few are seen in documentaries, movies, and the occasional textbook. The rest, are often undervalued, less touted, or simply forgotten. Among these unsung heroes are some of the women that contributed the most to the black community as well as the World. Some of the most powerful Black women laid a blueprint for those of the future that was left unfollowed. In the early 1900s, a Louisiana woman born Sarah Breedlove, lived as the sole owner of several businesses valued at over one million dollars. Although she was the first Black female to become a self-made millionaire, she is not as admired as she should be. While her name may be mentioned sporadically, it is a form of ignorance to have nearly completely avoid the trail she blazed. To understand what makes Madame CJ Walker an unsung hero, you first have to understand her accomplishments and successes. During the 1890s, Walker developed a severe scalp disorder that led to a massive loss of hair. From that point, she discovered something that would lead her to millions. After experimenting with several hair care products and remedies, she began to perfect her own masterpiece. Once finalized, Walker, along with her husband, Charles Joseph Walker, went on a tour of several states. Along the tour, Walker would promote her products and give live demonstrations of how to use them. She would continue to build her brand and business into an empire. According to the Organization of American Historians, the Walker Manufacturing Company "employed some 3,000 African American women and men to manufacture and sell hair products and cosmetics" at its peak. In addition to raising a personal fortune upwards of $600,000, Walker was a major philanthropist. With donations toward ed ucational funds and even the opening of the YMCA, she proved to be a woman of great integrity. Most importantly, she mothered a movement which stood as a booster for Black status in America. With the philosophy of cleanliness and lovliness, she influenced a mass of Black women to appreciate themselves and improved community morale. All that said, it is easy to wonder how a woman of Walker's stature can be ignored. With a buying power that is projected to reach $1.7 trillion this year according to Nielsen, it is unfortunate that a majority Black women are purchasing and using non-Black owned products. According to Nielsen statistics, despite spending nine times more on beauty products than other races, Blacks only own a fraction of 1% of the beauty supply market share. After the vast amount of effort Walker placed into the Black economy and Black confidence, today Black women as a whole are failing to live up to the standard she set. While there are a great number of leaders making strides to shift the tide, the majority of Black spenders are failing to keep these dollars in the Black community, and many Black women are failing to sprout these Black owned beauty brands. While Madam CJ Walker's legacy is mentioned enough to deem her "unignored", the fact that Black communities have been overrun with beauty busine ss that aren't black owned, is ignorance in itself. References Koman, Rita G., and TwHP Staff. Two American Entrepreneurs: Madam CJ Walker and JC Penney. OAH Magazine of History 20.1 (2006): 26-36.