Early life Madam C. J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove, was born on December 23, 1867, in
Delta, Louisiana. Born to formerly enslaved parents, Breedlove was an orphan by the time she was seven years old. In 1881, Breedlove married Moses McWilliams at the age of 14. The couple welcomed a baby girl in 1885, named Lelia. Two years after the birth of Lelia, McWilliams died.
1905–1910 Breedlove first formed the idea of a company in Denver, Colorado, in the early twentieth century. Like many women of her era, Breedlove suffered from scalp infections and hair loss because of hygiene practices, diet, and products that damaged her hair. Breedlove initially learned about hair and scalp care from her brothers, who owned a barber shop in St. Louis during the 1880s and 1890s. Around 1904, Breedlove became a sales agent for
Annie Turnbo Malone, an African-American businesswoman who founded a company in 1900 manufacturing a "Wonderful Hair Grower." Before 1900, several other black women called themselves "hair growers" and advertised in black newspapers, including the
Baltimore Afro-American and the
St. Louis Palladium. In 1900 Gilbert Harris spoke about "Work in Hair" at the National Negro Business League convention in Boston. After moving to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1889, Breedlove worked as a cook and laundress. In January 1906, Walker and her husband arrived in Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 10, 1910. Seeking residence with Dr. Joseph Ward on
Indiana Avenue, Indianapolis's African-American thoroughfare, Walker opened a salon in his home where she hosted sales agents and clients. Between February and April 1910, Walker grew her customer base.
Multi-level marketing was Walker's most successful strategy. Walker, her husband, and daughter were named the sole members of the board of directors. According to Brokenburr's incorporation papers, the North West Street building was to be named the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company of Indiana. After Walker died in 1919, her daughter
A'Lelia became president of the company. During her tenure the company built a new headquarters and manufacturing plant in 1927 in Indianapolis. However, the
Great Depression hurt sales and forced her to sell personal art and antiques to keep the company operating. When A'Lelia died in 1931 her adopted daughter Mae Walker succeeded her until she died in 1945. Mae's daughter, A'Lelia Mae Perry Bundles, became the fourth company president. The company closed in 1981, but the 1927 building later became the
Madam Walker Legacy Center.
2016–present In March 2020,
Sundial Brands revived the brand name as
Madam C. J. Walker Beauty Culture that is sold by
Sephora. Two years later, Sundial announced that the brand, MADAM, would be stocked in 3,000
Walmart stores. ==See also==