“I am a woman who came from the cotton fields 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 manufacturing hair goods and preparations....I have built my own factory on my own ground."
Madam
Walker
National Negro
Business League Convention
July 1912
The Official Madam C J Walker Website:
http://www.madamcjwalker.com/
Madam C J Walker is an important historical
figure. She invented a line of black
hair care products and popularized the press-and-curl style in the
early
1900s. She was the first self-made
American woman millionaire. This
excellent website includes a chronology of her life, discussions of
black hair
in contemporary society, a bibliography of resources on C J Walker,
exerpts
from a book written by her great-great granddaughter, and links to many
other
related websites.
The Madam Walker Theater Center
http://www.walkertheatre.com/index.asp?p=1
Located in Indianapolis, IN, the mission of
this theater is to preserve and perpetuate the legacies of its
namesake, Madam
C.J. Walker. These legacies include arts & culture,
entrepreneurship,
economic development and philanthropy. The Center is dedicated to
nurturing and
celebrating the arts from an African-American perspective and provides
a forum
for arts and cultural programming directed toward cross-cultural
appreciation.
Indiana Historical Society Madam C J Walker
Archives
http://www.indianahistory.org/pop_hist/people/walker.html
The Indiana Historical Society contains many
primary documents of and about Madam C J Walker. This
is the most complete collection of
historical material on Walker. Make sure
to view the extensive collection of photographs here:
http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/m0399
BLACK HAIR CARE WEBSITES:
Afro Hair
http://afrohair.com/
This website is dedicated to promoting healthy hair by providing
centralized access to hair care services, hair care products & hair
styling information.
With the “Hair stylist Locator,” you can search Black hair
shop locations across the country
Proud
Lady Beauty Show
http://www.ahbai.org/show/
Proud Lady is an annual hair show and competition in Chicago. This is the premiere Illinois Black hair
show. Hair care professionals from
around the state attend and present at this show.
BLOGS ON BLACK HAIR CARE:
Natural
Dreadlocks
http://napptural.com/
Hair
Milk- A Black Hair Care Blog
http://www.hairmilk.com/
Black
Hair Planet's Blog
http://www.blackhairplanet.com/blog/
Grow
Black Hair
http://growblackhair.net/blog/
Black
Hair Care Blog-Tips, tricks and advice
http://black-haircare-blog.beautique.com/
OTHER RESOURCES:
Black Women and Hair: A Recession Proof
Debate
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102422128
A’Leia Bundle, Madam C J
Walker’s
great-great-granddaughter talks about black women’s hair in this special
National Public Radio
discussion. Recorded on March 27th,
2009, this story discusses both historical and contemporary issues in
the
relationship between black women and their hair.
Black Beauty and Hair
http://blackbeautyandhair.com/
A magazine devoted to black women’s
hair. This website also features a large
photo gallery with different hair styles.