True story behind 'Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker': Married at 14, widowed at 20
Netflix is all set to premiere the chronicled story of America's first self-made female millionaire. Titled 'Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker', the series will showcase the lifetime contributions Madam Walker made to the hair care industry. 'The Help' alum, iconic Octavia Spencer, stars in the four-part mini-series that will bring to light history that has long been celebrated.
The series is inspired by the book ‘On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam CJ Walker,’ written by Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles. With the release of the streaming services limited series, there comes some curiosity — who is Madam CJ Walker?
Given the title of "the first black woman millionaire in America", CJ Walker was born Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1867. Owen and Minerva, her parents, were freed slaves and she was their fifth child — their first out of the bonds of slavery. Sarah, however, became an orphan at the age of seven. At 14, she went on to marry Moses McWilliams. After the passing of her husband when she was 20, she worked as a laundress in St. Louis while taking care of the couple's two-year-old daughter.
After developing hair loss due to a scalp ailment in the 1890s, CJ Walker took to homemade remedies to help relieve it, only to end up designing the 'Walker System'. Initiating and sustaining a line of hair care products, she sold them directly to African-American women, revolutionizing the way African-Americans approached hair care. The Walker System included a "combination of scalp preparation, application of lotions, and use of iron comb."
Promoting her products herself, Madam Walker made it known that her developed hair care routine was to help the hair of African Americans and what their hair needs. Her customers were definitely coming back for more. She then settled her business in Denver. She received more exposure when her second husband journalist Charles J Walker helped to promote her business. Charles also encouraged his wife to go by the name 'Madam CJ Walker'.
After giving lectures on hairstyling and demonstrations of her approach, her set of loyal customers grew and Madam Walker moved her headquarters to Indianapolis. With over 3,000 employees, her line boasted of almost 20 items that were advertised in the African-American press. Growing her business from the ground up, she became one of America's first-ever self-made female millionaires.
Becoming immensely successful, Madam Walker also promoted clubs for the people she employed, along with bonuses to those that help the community with charity work. The charter of her company also stated that 'only a woman could serve as president' as she continued to fund scholarships and donated to NAACP and the black YMCA.
Now, for the first time, Netflix takes us back to a time of luxurious costumes and sets with sprinkles of antiques and rhythm bringing to us the story of the African-American hair care entrepreneur. Taking into account the icon's bravery in overcoming post-slavery biases of both gender and race, advocating for social change and fighting off business rivalries, we get to see how she built a dynasty that revolutionized generations of African-Americans' perception of beauty.
All four parts of 'Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker' premieres on March 20, 2020, on Netflix.