Madam CJ Walker - Morah Sheli Village

Madam CJ Walker Do you know Madam C.J. Walker? She was one of the first African-African women to become a self-made self millionaire. Let me tell you her a part of her story. She was born on December 23, 1867 in Louisiana on a cotton plantation. Her given name was Sarah Breedlove and at the time of her birth her parents, Owen and Minerva, were newly-freed newly slaves so Sarah was the first in her family to be born free! Though Sarah lost both her parents by the age of seven, she revolutionized herself as an orphan turned farm laborer and laundress into one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the 20th Century. Sarah went to live with her sister and her brother-in-law brother in Mississippi after her parents died. Together with her sister, young Sarah picked cotton for a living. Just seven years later, she escaped her oppressive working conditions and her abusive brother-in-law w by b marrying Moses McWilliams when she was only 14 years old. Shortly after, Sarah gave birth to her daughter, A'Lelia, on June 6, 1885. Then two years later, her husband died and she was left to provide for her daughter on her own. She packed up andd relocated to St. Louis to join her brothers. Sarah's life in Missouri was much different than her life in the South. To begin, she did not have to pick cotton; instead she worked as a domestic. Also, she was able to bond with other African African-American American women wome who belonged to Black-focused focused groups and that exposure changed her vision on life. She also gained exposure through her brothers' work as barbers. Sarah spent her money on educating her daughter but she was sure to enroll in night school for herself whenever she was able. In the 1890s Breedlove began to experience significant hair loss. Though she learned hair care experience from her brothers' line of work, it was not until she became an agent of Annie Turnbo Malone that her hair care knowledge truly increased. She moved to Denver, married Charles Joseph Walker, and began to learn all she could about Black hair and business. Ever wonder how she became Madam C.J. Walker? She took her husband's name me and added "Madam" to it. Because Charles Walker was in advertising, he often helped help advertise and promote his wife's products. Bein Being the smart business woman she was, Madam CJ Walker promoted her daughter to run the mail mail-order division of her business while she traveled alongside Mr. Walker to expand the business. Determined, by 1910 Walker has settled in Indianapolis to build a factory, a salon, and a training school, thus the Madam CJ Walker Manufacturing Company was born. She traveled abroad to places such as the Caribbean and Latin America to promote her business and to teach about hair care. Later she moved to Harlem and ran the company from her New York office. She quickly acclimated herself with the culture of Harlem. She also supported the he NAACP and other groups who were interested in improving the lives of African-Americans. African She was quite the philanthropist with a lucrative business, so she effortlessly donated funds for issues she deemed important. In 1917, she hired Vertner Tandy to design her estate (Villa Lewaro) for her in New York. She moved into Villa Lewaro in 1918 and sadly she died in her home the following year on May 25, 1919 at the age of 51 due to hypertension.. Her daughter became the president of her company. Credit: MadamCJWalker.com, Wikipedia.com and Biography.com

©2016 by Morah Sheli Publishing, All Rights Reserved, www.morahsheli.com Photo Credit: Madam CJ Walker, Date Unknown, Author Unknown, Public Domain

Comprehension Questions (oral or written): 1) Describe Madam CJ Walker's life. _________________________________________________________ 2) What issues were Walker particularly interested in? 3) How did business affect Walker's life?

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4) Name one contribution she made to the African-American community? ____________________________ 5) If there are any underlined words that you cannot pronounce or do not understand the meaning of, use a dictionary to aid you in your phonetics and/or understanding. Reflective Questions (oral): 1) Would you say that you are business-savvy? If so, explain how Madam CJ Walker's success as a business woman inspires or motivates you. If not, discuss your own natural talent and address any event in Walker's life that you connect with. 2) How could you use your skills to help people, or teach others, especially your own people, as modeled by Walker? 3) How do you feel about Madam CJ Walker, including her accomplishments and her work? What, if anything, can you relate to? Essay Questions: (Level 1) Madam CJ Walker stated, "I am a woman who came from the cotton filed of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of the manufacturing hair goods and preparations...I have built my own factory on my own ground" (National Negro Business League Convention, July 1912). What does this quote mean to you? What do you think it meant to Madam CJ Walker and the people with whom she was speaking to? Describe hard work as you understand it, then explain how hard work can lead to a desirable life. Also include how a desirable life makes hard work seem liked it "paid off." OR Madam CJ Walker built her own wealth. Many African-Americans were "forced" to make a living by building their own wealth amongst their own people because of Segregation and Jim Crow Laws. Though America is integrated today, explain how you could possibly build wealth for yourself/family if you needed or wanted to. (Level 2) At the time of her birth, Sarah Breedlove's parents were "newly-freed slaves." One could argue that this term is an oxymoron. Can one be both free and a slave at the same time? Decide your position on this argument. Then, write your claim in the affirmative or negative and explain why you chose your position and how it proves or disproves the argument. (Include at least one historical piece of evidence that is relevant to the time of "newly-free slaves.")


Research: 1) Sarah spent her money on educating her daughter, but her daughter was education in public school. Research to find out how much public school costs in the late 19th Century and the early 20th Centry. _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2) Sarah Breedlove learned under Annie Turnbo Malone. Who is she and why would be trained under Annie be beneficial to Sarah? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3) Madam CJ Walker owned the Madam CJ Walker Manufacturing Company. Research to tell more about her company? When did her company begin? What services did it offer? What products did she sell? Who were her investors? How much was her business worth? What happened to it? (And anything else you find relevant to add in your research.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4) In 1917, Walker hired Vertner Tandy to design her estate for her in New York. Who was Vertner Tandy? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5) Research to find out how much money was CJ Walker worth when she died. _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________


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