Madam C. J. Walker
Born 1867 · Age 158
American entrepreneur, philanthropist, activist; developed and sold hair- and beauty-care products for Black women; founder of the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company; often recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in the U.S.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born Sarah Breedlove
Born on a plantation near Delta, Louisiana, the first child in her family born free after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Mother (Minerva) died (likely cholera)
Mother Minerva Breedlove likely died in a cholera epidemic that traveled up the Mississippi.
Father (Owen) died
Father Owen Breedlove died about a year after her mother; Sarah became effectively orphaned.
Orphaned (reported age 7)
By age 7 Sarah Breedlove was orphaned and later lived with her older sister Louvenia.
Moved to Vicksburg, Mississippi
At about age 10 she moved to Vicksburg to live with her sister Louvenia and brother-in-law Jesse Powell and began domestic work.
Married Moses McWilliams
Married at age 14, reportedly to escape an abusive household situation.
Birth of daughter Lelia (A'Lelia Walker)
Daughter Lelia (later known as A'Lelia Walker) was born.
Widowed — Moses McWilliams died
Husband Moses McWilliams died, leaving Sarah a 20-year-old single mother.
Moved to St. Louis (began laundress work)
Moved to St. Louis (sources vary 1888–1889), worked as a laundress and cook to support daughter; three brothers were barbers there.
Joined the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church
Became active in St. Paul AME Church; church community influenced her aspirations and networking.
Married John Davis
Entered a second marriage to John Davis; the marriage was troubled and later dissolved.
Separated/divorced from John Davis (approx.)
Left or divorced John Davis around this time as she pursued business opportunities.
Worked as commission agent for Annie Turnbo Malone
Began working as a sales/commission agent for Annie Turnbo Malone (Poro Company) around the time of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
World's Fair sales disappointment
Sales at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition were disappointing due to limited access to African-American fairgoers, prompting her to refine her approach.
Began developing her own hair formula
While in Denver she experimented with formulas and learned basic chemistry working for a pharmacist, perfecting an ointment for scalp problems.
Moved to Denver, Colorado
Relocated with daughter to Denver to continue selling Malone products and to develop her own haircare business.
Charles Walker assisted with advertising and mail-order
Her husband initially helped with marketing, advertising, and establishing a mail-order business.
Married Charles Joseph Walker; adopted 'Madam C. J. Walker' name
Married Charles Joseph Walker (an advertising salesman); she began using the professional name 'Madam C. J. Walker.'
Launched 'Madam Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower' (startup capital recorded)
Started marketing her own line of hair products for Black women; sources report she launched with very little capital (commonly cited as $1.05–$1.50 or $1.25).
Placed A'Lelia in charge of Denver mail-order operations
Assigned daughter A'Lelia to manage the mail-order side of the business while she traveled to expand sales.
Closed Denver business (approx.)
After disputes with Annie Malone and business decisions, Walker closed the Denver operation and set sights on expansion to other cities.
Moved to Pittsburgh; opened beauty parlor and Lelia College of Beauty Culture
Opened a beauty parlor and established 'Lelia College' to train hair culturists; began formalizing the Walker System training.
Relocated headquarters to Indianapolis; founded Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company
Established company headquarters in Indianapolis, purchased property at 640 North West Street and set up factory, salon and beauty school.
Bought house/factory at 640 North West Street, Indianapolis
Acquired a property to serve as the company's manufacturing and training base (later the site connected to the Madame Walker Building).
Gift to YMCA building fund (Senate Avenue YMCA)
Pledged and gave $1,000 toward building an Indianapolis YMCA for the Black community.
Assembled senior management team
Hired key staff including Freeman Ransom and Robert Lee Brokenburr to manage growing company operations and legal affairs.
National expansion and rapid employment growth (milestone)
By the early 1910s the company employed several thousand agents and was rapidly expanding across the U.S.
Addressed National Negro Business League from the convention floor
Spoke publicly about rising from poverty to build her factory and business.
Keynote speaker at NNBL convention
Delivered a keynote address to convention-goers, further raising her national profile.
Opened New York City office and salon (Harlem)
Established an office and beauty salon in Harlem (A'Lelia persuaded her mother to do this); site later became culturally significant.
Moved to New York (joined daughter); delegated day-to-day operations
Moved to New York City and increasingly focused on public, philanthropic and political activities while management ran operations in Indianapolis.
Founded National Negro Cosmetics Manufacturers Association
Instrumental in creating an association for Black cosmetics manufacturers.
Organized National Beauty Culturists & Benevolent Association; first national conference
Organized her agents into state and local clubs which led to the national association; first annual conference in Philadelphia had ~200 attendees.
Joined executive committee, NAACP New York chapter; Silent Protest Parade participation
Joined NAACP NY executive committee; the NAACP organized the Silent Parade to protest the East St. Louis riot in 1917.
Active in Circle For Negro War Relief; advocated for black officers' training
During WWI she helped raise relief funds and lobbied for training camps for black army officers.
Commissioned Villa Lewaro (Irvington, NY) — architect Vertner Tandy
Commissioned the country's first major Black-built mansion designed by Vertner Tandy; cost reported at $250,000.
Company training numbers reported (nearly 20,000 trained)
Company claimed to have trained nearly 20,000 women in the Walker System by 1917.
Moved into Villa Lewaro; hosted opening event honoring Emmett Jay Scott
Took residence at Villa Lewaro in May 1918 and used it as a social and political gathering place for African-American leaders.
Estimated net worth at death (reported range)
Contemporary reports estimated her worth between $500,000 and $1,000,000 at the time of her death; she is recorded in Guinness as the first self-made female millionaire.
Company scale reported (25,000 active agents / 40,000 employed - varying sources)
By 1919 sources differ: Britannica reports ~25,000 active sales agents; some sources cite up to 40,000 employees across US, Caribbean and Central America.
Sales exceeding $500,000 in final year (reported)
Company sales in the final year of Walker's life were reported to exceed $500,000.
Pledged/donated $5,000 to NAACP anti-lynching fund
Pledged $5,000 to the NAACP's anti-lynching fund — reported as the largest individual gift the NAACP had received at that time.
Revised will; bequeathed two-thirds of future net profits to charity
Shortly before her death she revised her will to give two-thirds of her estate's future net profits to charitable causes and bequeathed nearly $100,000 to institutions and individuals.
A'Lelia Walker becomes company president (posthumous succession)
After Sarah's death, daughter A'Lelia Walker later assumed leadership/presidency of the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company and stewarded aspects of the legacy.
Died at Villa Lewaro (kidney failure/hypertension)
Died May 25, 1919 at age 51 (reported age often given as 51) from kidney failure and complications of hypertension; interred at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY.
Madame Walker Building (Madame Walker Theatre Center) opened (legacy)
Indianapolis Walker Manufacturing Company headquarters building was completed/repurposed and opened in December 1927; later became the Madame Walker Theatre Center.
Villa Lewaro sold to Companions of the Forest in America (legacy transfer)
Following A'Lelia Walker's death in 1931/1932 the property changed hands (Companions of the Forest in America an offshoot of Foresters Financial purchased Villa Lewaro).
Villa Lewaro listed on National Register of Historic Places (legacy)
Villa Lewaro was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Madame Walker Building listed on National Register of Historic Places
The former Walker headquarters / Madame Walker Theatre Center was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Stanley Nelson documentary 'Two Dollars and a Dream'
Documentary (first film treatment of Walker's life) was released; director had access to original Walker business records via family connections.
Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame (legacy honor)
Madam C. J. Walker was posthumously inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY.
U.S. Postal Service issued Madam C.J. Walker commemorative stamp
USPS included Madam C.J. Walker in its Black Heritage Series with a commemorative stamp.
Play 'The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove' premiered
Regina Taylor's play about Walker debuted at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, continuing cultural recognition of Walker's life.
Indiana Historical Society preserves Walker papers (collection)
The Indiana Historical Society houses and preserves many of Walker's business and personal papers (collection maintained in Indianapolis).
Sundial Brands launched 'Madam C. J. Walker Beauty Culture' at Sephora (legacy product line)
Sundial Brands (in collaboration with Sephora) launched a product line inspired by Walker's legacy in haircare.
Netflix series 'Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker' released
A dramatic series starring Octavia Spencer premiered, drawing renewed attention but also criticism for historical inaccuracies.
Mattel issued a Madam C.J. Walker Barbie (Inspiring Women series)
A Madam C.J. Walker Barbie doll was released by Mattel in recognition of her role as an inspiring historical figure.
Sundial/Unilever launched 'MADAM by Madam C. J. Walker' exclusively at Walmart
A new collection of eleven products was launched under the MADAM brand at Walmart, continuing commercialization of her legacy.
Key Achievement Ages
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