Madam C. J. Walker

HAS A BLACK WOMAN

The next time you welcome defeat, and those occasions of dreams but never actually becoming, choosing to remain small, when you are required to stand tall, remember. Remember those whose stories on the surface appeared less than remarkable with a narrative already written and an ending seemingly already foretold. Remember the woman that despite being surrounded in darkness, was still able to, with her entire being and soul strength, find her light and shine. It helped illuminate those around her who similar stories intertwined.

DISCOVERY

I first ever learned of Madam C. J. Walker when a mini-series of her remarkable life "Self-Made." aired on Netflix. While in small parts, it captured the essence of her journey, to what she is now famously known for, It left me desiring to learn more. In position, because I am also a black woman striving towards financial independence, for myself and by myself, for family and others like me. Often at times, the journey can feel incredibly lonely. A narrative like hers I knew would be the nourishment my soul needed, to keep my heart body and soul in the game. And so my longing to learn more led me to the only person in the world that could tell her story how I wanted to hear it, undiluted, magical and raw. A'Lelia Bundles book, "On Her Own Ground," is the only book I will ever in my lifetime purchase about this remarkable being that was Madam C. J. Walker. I confidently declare this because every single word captured, of her journey through this life was told by her blood, her family. And hearing truths from someone who was the closest to knowing her, more than any other could be, Is just as good as this remarkable lady being alive today and speaking these truths herself, that is good enough for me.

It's a narrative that sadly isn't much different today, but today the opportunities we have are a little better. It's the 300 years of mental slavery we have to learn now how to defeat. Aware or not, most of us have been struggling with this without really understanding the root course.

It was a carefully thought out cause, and quite generously and repeatedly orchestrated, leaving an imprint that was in turn unconsciously passed on between generations, after generations. That internal struggle many of us find ourselves in now, never really being aware of our actual greatness and beauty.

Showing you the truths and lessons within her story that will not only re-affirm your power but also encourage and inspire you in your very own endeavours. If I can at least help create a spark that will allow you to turn that dream into a reality, my work here will have been purposely, and creatively executed.

Now let us begin.

ON HER GROUND

Madam C. J. Walker was an American entrepreneur. Philanthropist and political, social activist.

She did what she set out to do all those lifetimes ago, and is now forever recorded in history and the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first black woman millionairess of her time.

She was acquiring all that was rightfully hers, Living the life of her ancestors, because I can only rightfully assume she was a direct descendent from Kings and Queens.

listening to the words A'Lelia wrote of attentively and with a heavy heart, it was sad but necessary to read of the picture painted of the life she was born into, a life of ignorance and drudgery. An experience that I will never have to encounter personally or endure. But a constant reminder of the ground my ancestors stood, for me to be here today and writing this.

FREEDOM BABY

Her name was Sarah Breedlove, her entry into the world was a few days shy of emancipation. She came from a family of slaves and was the first out of her six siblings to be born free.

She was just another black child, ordinary at a glance and not worth a look. With a surface that afforded her no apparent unique qualities; indeed, none that would see her as their equal, at a time when those viewed themselves far more superior over the black race.

If only they could have known of those extraordinary qualities taking shape within in her. A uniqueness that would ultimately bestow on her the respect and riches in the years to come

As a child at such a young age, a child picking cotton in the fields alongside her parents, she still vehemently possessed qualities of gratitude and pride in that work. Or later on, has a washerwoman when she moved to St Louis. It was apparent then, and now she always wished better for herself.

Hopes and dreams kept her grounded and appreciative of what she had in the present. Even if that wasn't much, she had a clear understanding from a young age that to receive future blessings, she would have to be grateful for the things in the present.

This strong black woman had to become her mentor. How does someone achieve this as an orphan at the age of 7 years? God never gives you a burden that you can not personally overcome. She proved to be the very definition of this when she chose to push through the pain and hardship, fighting for a better life and marrying at the age of 14 to better her circumstances.

These first initial steps through her life may have been tiny, forces she could not see was coming into play, opportunities lining up, and a very significant dream would soon come calling.

STILL, SHE RISES

We will never have the luxury of becoming strangers to death and hardship, Sarah wasn’t when both familiar foes came calling yet again, through the loss of her two brothers and husband. Life placed her back alone in a world, apart, widowed and a mother.

How does somebody remain un-faulted when circumstance beyond our control are determined to keep us down and break us? There was not only an internal emotional battleground to conquer but a hostile external environment too. It takes a special breed of the soul to keep moving, but not a quality only reserved for specific individuals.

PATIENCE & IT'S COMPANION WISDOM

We are all guilty of it at some point in our lives, ever desperate for things to just be, her patience was beautiful. When the current she was following led her to the city of St Louis, the vision she had for herself and her future did not cease. Her inner wisdom taught her un-wavering patience for the success's that were ordained to come, and her internal instinct prompted her into action, to make things better for herself and her daughter.

Leila received education at a boarding school in Knoxville Tennessee, and Sarah worked as a washerwoman while putting herself through night school. All while remaining fully active within her community.

Her story also speaks of a second marriage; nothing was given, in great detail surrounding it which only speaks to me of a woman that was not only extraordinarily private but who also saw no place for gossip.

However, that relationship played out and ultimately ended, it created a spark, the hair loss experienced as a result of this, later on, would guide her to a solution, for her hair and life.

BABY, TELL THE TRUTH.

Now while I'm all for farfetched movies and outlandish storylines, I have to draw the line when it comes to an accurate depiction "Inspired" or not of somebody's actual life story.

The Netflix mini-series Self-Made craftily illustrates an ongoing rivalry between Sarah and on-screen character Addie Malone (previously known as Annie Minerva Turnbo, then as Annie Pope-Turnbo) We may not always think to dig a little deeper to learn the actual truth by reading the book.

In a nutshell, two women meet both sharing similar difficult journeys. Pope already a fully established Hair Culturist, with a product that offered amazing results for hair growth amongst the black community. A Hair grower that she would later go on to declare publicly treated and restored Sarah's hair. Truths only re-affirm this as we also learn of Sarah becoming a passionate sales agent for her. While I have no doubt, there was obviously an element of rivalry at some stage between the women,

one-sided at least, it wasn't to the extent played out in the movie.

I PROMOTED MYSELF.

Sarah might not have been wealthy, but her thoughts and possibilities were rich. Instead of excepting her job has a washerwoman, a skill she did well, but that afforded her very little pay, she began to look inwards for ways she could better her employment and financial opportunity. Contemplating where she was, those all too real outcomes if she remained and other techniques that could improve life for her and her daughter.

That the spark to do better had already been burning bright; in fact, it was flickering from birth. What was taking shape now, was an unseen force guiding her in the direction she needed to be in, to realise her dream and her true potential.

Meeting Pope Turnbo in St Louis and becoming a sales agent for her, was not by mere coincidence. And who we encounter throughout our lifetime can serve us both as lessons and opportunities. The hairdressing culture was to be just that, the $1.50 a-day alternative from the washtub, allowed her to re-invent herself that later gave rise to so much more than just material wealth.

In St Louis, new relationships grew both professionally and personally. Not yet divorced from her second husband, Sarah was now living with C J Walker, happy that she was helping people of her race feel more attractive. The Scalp treatments she offered her clients boosted her confidence and her income.

HIT OFTEN AND HIT HARD

Things will never happen on their own, and you know that. And things may never happen at all if you're about to breath your last. Sometimes if you don't move forward you die, think about that for a moment.

Because there's a sweetness in surrender these days, right now, because it’s easy no one will blame you for it, the very culture of Sarah's great journeys from the impossible to possible certainly drives it home for me.

She was a woman that worked to achieve her possible every single day of her life. Like it was to be her last.

She continued to create with great urgency and its constant. When that pull of opportunities and promise inspired her to make bold moves towards the city of Denver, $1.50 to her name wasn't about to deter her, Sarah knew her worth and refused to let anyone tell her how to use it. And there were all those evident signs of encouragement when she got there. Diverse communities, building and attaining opulence to fuel her vision, dark inky folk with wealth, mansion's, beauty and women of success, who spent and behaved as they pleased.

Taking a job as a cook while still selling Pope hair care products on the side allowed her to build momentum. Like with everything practice makes perfect, so she learned. Utilising every bit of free time she had to mix and blend her unique hair care recipes. She developed a reputation for significant advertising and quickly became an expert in her field, Placing adverts in black-owned newspapers to popularise Pope hair care products alongside her hair care treatments.

Hard work paying off, and now making enough money to quit her job as a cook, she rented out an attic, which was to be her first laboratory.

Did I mention she never let up, not even for a second? Two days washing, five days were giving treatments. Her bright charisma enabled her to House to House canvas, modest folk of her race. Networking allowed her to create invaluable business connections, along the side of experimenting with ingredients of her own. The path she choosing to follow was all part of a natural progression, Still very much endorsing Pope products she carved a name for herself.

LESSONS, BELIEF & APPRECIATION

It's all about those valuable lessons we learn in failing. We hear it so often these days, make sure to "Fail Big" While I'm not disputing this useful nugget of wisdom, it works both ways. So I'm not going to lie to myself or you and say it's all about the failure for me when it's not. The driving force for me is the belief, believing in myself and an understanding and appreciation from others, the two go hand in hand. It's no different to wanting and needing to feel loved, while also learning to love yourself. We have to be careful not to obsess over one more than the other. Why? Because too much can turn a soul arrogant, or pretty desperate. Neither is an excellent style to rock, and both are currently fast going out of fashion.

Sarah had a tremendous amount of belief in herself that goes without saying, she accomplished so much, but what she also received along the way, over time, because this didn't happen for her overnight, was the respect and appreciation from others. People, in turn, sought her out to demonstrate her products in other cities, that's how many she impressed. All of them were now wanting to learn of her beauty secrets.

She was a natural teacher and a leader with a gift at drawing in the crowds and persuading the sceptics. Not just about her formula; this was about an understanding of the black women wanting her beauty recognised and catered for, financial independence was a strong desire also. Her conviction, how she had already attained this through confidence forged from her own harrowing life journey, proved it was possible, This is how she influenced many with an expression of herself she refused to hide, people gravitated towards her because of it.

A narrative that bonded thicker than blood, that people could relate to because her life journey was theirs also. It naturally inspired her to push that little bit harder giving her extra confidence on top of faith she needed to take her vision into the next phase.

And that's just what she did. Advertising Pope products stopped, and she re-emerged with her very own hair care system.

NEW HORIZONS

Finding her vocation in the black hair care industry. Or the creation of a product that catered to its needs wasn't her invention; she did not conceive of the idea, yet still successfully managed to slingshot it to un-precedent horizons, improving on the overall message it delivered.

Passionately endorsing a hair care product she believed in. A product that helped reverse her own experience with hair loss is a fact. So yes, it's safe to say the concept started taking shape at this point in her life. I will continue to now refer to her, using the name she is famously known for, the name aligned with her brand image, Madam C J Walker. The title alone commands respect and airs a regalness about it. It also confirms that she was now married to her third husband, C J Walker.

Many that came before her were already doing exceptionally well in this market, black-owned and black run. Madam C J Walker just took a seat at the same table and made her place. What made her different, however, was the purpose she came with, and that purpose never changed, it merely evolved. In doing so, she provided a beacon to black woman and girls. Showing them that there was a necessary future in black entrepreneurship and financial independence.

HER DREAMS OF DREAMS

She went and proved them all wrong, every last one of them. Every one of her successes along the way only further validated this. It's about the factory, Hair Salon and Beauty school she built to train her sales agents. She was travelling in all kinds of weather systematically hitting city after city, canvassing. Find, teach, sell and move on. She was opening up additional money revenues by taking in lodgers and providing hair treatments from her home. Did she ever rest? Yes and no both her and her daughter enjoyed socialising. Still, it's safe to say socialising also came with its business opportunities, she was forever on the go and thinking ahead towards the bigger picture.

A national brand is shaped, a haircare authority that reached across oceans, quite literally: California, Utah, Montana, Mary Land, Kansas and the Caribbean to name but a few. Self-Made isn't a title I attribute to her, her dream was her own, yes, but her accomplishments carried friends, family and a well-educated executive team. All of whom shared in her perception, fiercely protecting her interests.

From the many city's, she breathed, to the bountiful homes she resided,

the last and the most lavish has to be without a doubt the famously known Villa Lewaro. Still standing today, on her own ground it boasts 34 rooms and a Spanish tiled crown. Every inch of its sparkling white and sand marble stone walls baring testament to the mountain she had climbed and conquered.

Here we have a woman that accomplished in her lifetime, something so many of us will go to the grave never realising. The employment opportunities she created for women that became loyal Walker Sales Agents, were for no other purpose than to lift-up our race when others counted us out.

She was speaking out against injustice, with the knowledge and foresight to understand, providing not only an income but also education and control over the lives in a society that repeatedly failed to recognise our races basic humanity and citizenship rights. If you were joining her company, you were joining her cause.

Fighting with one hand and giving with the other is humbling has it is soul-inspiring, making a difference and creating a spark, got you remembered.

Madam C J Walker’s accomplishments were fuelled by gratitude, charity, self-love and self-worth. We must remind ourselves of her courage that came at a time when our dark artistry, didn't match-up with society's beauty standard ideals of that time, but still, she succeeded. A woman whose efforts and accomplishments are fuelled by all of these critical ingredients will always allow her to be successful in whatever adventure she chooses to pursue, and to be one's self regardless, in a world often compelling you to change, only re-affirms that.

The colour of your skin or the sound of your voice is not your limitation; you are! More challenging past battles have been fought, and success as still been earned period.

This battle has only been half a win; the more significant combat is within ourselves. It's in this struggle folks find out their true calling. The sword of power and the woman that wields it does so with all of these intricate ingredients inside, success is hers, nobody could tell her or steer her away from; anything otherwise.

Now let the truth fall at your feet, think as she did then do better. Strive to make meaning over money; then your life will end with purpose and not regrets. Because if she can do this, so can you.