Titled Madam C.J. Walker, the eight-episode series will tell the untold story of Walker, who was born Sarah Breedlove, and detail how she overcame "hostile turn-of-the-century America, epic rivalries, tumultuous marriages, and some trifling family to become America's first black, self-made female millionaire." The series is based on the book On Her Own Ground by A'Lelia Bundles, who is Walker's great-great-granddaughter and will also serve as a consultant for the show.
A little history refresh for everyone: Walker was one of the most successful black female business owners of all time. The daughter of slaves, she was orphaned at the age of 7, married at 14, and a widow by the time she turned 20. She began selling hair products specifically for black women in the 1890s and built a revolutionary beauty empire from the ground up. By the time she died in 1919, she was well-known as a haircare pioneer.
