Madam CJ Walker was a woman who rose from the cotton fields to the washtub to become the first black female millionaire. She made her fortune by developing and marketing hair and skin care products for black women around the world. She was born Sarah Breedlove on a cotton plantation in Louisiana in 1867, the first member of her family to be born free. As a child she worked with her parents who were sharecroppers. By the time she was seven years old she was an orphan. She and her sister supported themselves by taking laundry. Madame CJ Walker rose above her circumstances by developing hair and skin care products for women of color. She helped countless other women better themselves through dignified employment.
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