Remember a few scrolls ago, when I said "black women know hair?" Well, few black women knew hair like Madam C. J. Walker, who was born Sarah Breedlove in 1867. In the 1890s, Walker began suffering from a scalp ailment that resulted in her losing most of her (very long, very gorgeous) hair. After consulting others for advice and experimenting with multiple homemade remedies and store-bought products, Walker founded her own hair-care business, changed her name to "Madam" C. J. Walker, and began selling her namesake Wonderful Hair Grower, a conditioning treatment and healing scalp formula.
Not only did Madam Walker change the game for black women's hair-care products, but she also used her wealth and success to advocate for civil rights and the advancement of black Americans. Walker was considered to be the first self-made African-American businesswoman in history; at the time of her death in 1919, she was worth over $1 million — a major achievement for any woman, but especially for one whose parents were slaves. She was basically the Beyoncé of the black beauty world.
