MADAM C. J. WALKER: The First Black Woman Millionaire in America [Video]

Madam Walker made her fortune by creating a homemade line of hair care products for Black women. Born Sarah Breedlove, she was inspired to create hair products after experiencing a scalp disorder and hair loss. It led to the creation of the Walker system and she built an empire selling products directly to Black women, then employing others to sell them. She used her fortune to fund scholarships for women at the Tuskegee Institute and donated to the NAACP and other charities. At the time of her death, she had more than one million dollars net worth. Today, she is remembered as a pioneering Black female entrepreneur who inspired many with her financial independence and philanthropy.