Born just after the Civil War, Sarah Breedlove knew the hardships of being a sharecropper when she was young. In her twenties, her hair started falling out, and she wanted to stop this before she became entirely bald. After trying others' remedies, she decided to make her own, and succeeded. This gave her the idea of helping other African - American women with the same problem, and she began selling her products door-to-door. Along with selling hair products, she also preached the ideas of pride and self-reliance. She married Mr. Charles Walker, and decided to name her company Madam C. J. Walker, since 'Madam' sounded French, and gave an air of sophistication. When she became a great success, she gave back to her community, by founding a large cultural center in Indianapolis, among other projects.
Date read: 4/13/2009
ISBN-10: 0763618349
ISBN-13: 9780763618346
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