BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History

Hugh Gaddy · Wednesday, December 23rd 2009 at 1:22AM · 168 views

Madame CJ Walker

Madam C.J. Walker, Whose Birth Name Was Sarah Breedlove, Was Born December 23, 1857, In Delta Louisiana. She Was The First Member Of Her Family To Be Born Free. She Made Her Fortune By Developing And Marketing A Hugely Successful Line Of Beauty And Hair Products For Black Women. The Guinness Book Of Records Cites Walker As The First Self-Made Female, Black Or White, To Become A Millionaire. Once She Became Successful, Walker Took Pride In Being Able To Provide Employment For Black People. As An Alternative To Domestic Labor, She Hired Thousands Of Black Women Who Worked As Commissioned Agents. They Could Earn From $5 To $15 A Day. Walker Lectured On Black Issues At Conventions Sponsored By Powerful Black Institutions. She Also Encouraged Black Americans To Support The Cause Of World War I And Worked To Have Black Veterans Granted Full Respect. She Also Involved Herself In The Anti-Lynching Crusade -- Contributing Money And Working With The NAACP To Make The Hanging Of Black Americans A Federal Crime. The National Association of Colored Women (NACW) Honored Walker For Making The Largest Contribution To Saving The Home Of Abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Prior To Her Death, Ms. Walker Revised Her Will To Provide Financial Support For Black Schools, Organizations, Individuals, Orphanages, Retirement Homes, As Well As YWCAs And YMCAs. Madame Walker Died At The Age Of 51 On Sunday, May 25, 1919, From Complications Of Hypertension. "In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.

Hugh Gaddy

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BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History

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