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Octavia Spencer’s Netflix Series about Madam C.J. Walker Arrives Just in Time for ‘Sheltering in Place’

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One of the most anticipated series on Netflix this spring is the story of the country’s first self-made female millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker, an African American woman who parlayed hair care products and cosmetics into an empire and has inspired generations of women including Academy Award winner, Octavia Spencer. Spencer produced and starred in the four-part series, ‘Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker’ which begins on the streaming platform March 20th.

In an interview with The Wrap, Spencer said, “I was raised with Madam C.J. as a standard-bearer in my home. My mother used her as an example to demonstrate to my siblings and I, because we were born of humble beginnings as well, what we could dream of ourselves…So I’ve known about her my whole life, and that’s why I thought it was time for her story to be told.”

Madam C.J. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove in a small Louisiana community two years after the Civil War ended which made her the first child in her family born free. When her mother died in 1872, Breedlove moved to live with an older sister, but because of her brother-in-law, Breedlove left and married when she was 14 years-old and had one daughter, A’leilia. When her husband died, Breedlove moved.

The Mentor & The Protege

Eventually, she settled in St. Louis where her brothers were barbers, and in St. Louis, she also learned of Annie Malone, a Black woman entrepreneur with a line of hair care products and a network of agents who sold them for a commission. Breedlove began selling for Malone’s Poro Company which distributed its wares around the world. Many historians identify Annie Malone as the first self-made female millionaire in America.

A’Leilia Bundles, Breedlove’s great-great granddaughter, told TheVillageCelebration no one really knows how Breedlove and Malone first met. She added, “Sarah Breedlove was losing her hair. I believe Annie Malone helped Sarah with some of her hair issues. Then, when Sarah wanted to leave St. Louis, she moved to Denver to get a fresh start, selling Malone’s products.” The two women became estranged following a controversy over the origin of Breedlove’s hair care formula.

In Denver Breedlove married Charles Walker (played by Blair Underwood) and became known as Madam C.J. Walker. She began the “Walker System” and relocated her business to Indianapolis, the company’s headquarters. At the height of her career, she hired thousands of women to sell her shampoo and pomade.

“What Madam did was create a narrative and a space for Black women to be empowered and to feel beautiful, and with that beauty and confidence, become empowered and take charge of their own destiny,” Spencer said. 

The Legend

Walker was a philanthropist and an activist, supporting Black business ownership and helping other women start their own businesses.

During a 1912 address to the National Negro Business League, Walker said, “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 C.J. Walker died on May 25, 1919 from kidney failure and complications of hypertension. She was 51.

Black History

Trump Signs Executive Orders That Will Impact HBCUs and Black Schoolchildren

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and establish a White House Initiative on HBCUs to “deliver high-quality education to a growing number of students.”

According to the White House, the Initiative will help develop private-sector partnerships, institutional development and workforce preparation in technology, health care, manufacturing and finance. 

The president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Dr. Harry L. Williams said, “Today’s executive order serves as strong reaffirmation of President Trump’s support of investment of historically Black colleges and universities. This executive order should serve as a call-to-action for corporations, foundations, members of Congress and state lawmakers to redouble their efforts to support HBCUs and their students. TMCF looks forward to continued engagement with the administration and Congress to deliver results for HBCUs and the students they serve via appropriations and other legislative actions.”

On the same day, Trump signed another executive order that removes safeguards for African American schoolchildren by eliminating an Obama-era initiative to protect Black schoolchildren from excessive disciplinary action.

During the Obama administration, the first Black president’s administration created guidelines that sought to prevent school discipline from having a disproportionate effect on minority students. Trump revoked the civil rights initiative during his first term and Biden did not formally restore it. 

At his signing today, Trump said his decision was especially important to the current Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who held the signed order.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, schools were forced to consider equity and inclusion when imposing discipline,” McMahon said in a statement. “Their policies placed racial equity quotas over student safety – encouraging schools to turn a blind eye to poor or violent behavior in the name of inclusion.”

She added, “Disciplinary decisions should be based solely on students’ behavior and actions.

Studies show that Black students are punished more often than their white counterparts.

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Black History

President Jimmy Carter Appointed the First Black Woman to Lead a Federal Agency

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President Jimmy Carter advanced opportunities for African Americans throughout his life,
advocating for justice and peace consistent with the Christian values he embraced. Since his
death on December 29 at age 100, Mr. Carter’s praises have been sung from his home state of
Georgia to points around the globe. And while the former president’s one-term in the White
House is dismissed by some political pundits for a lack of policies or accomplishments that
changed the course of history, his character and integrity set him apart.


Carter became the first president to appoint a Black woman head of a federal agency. He chose
Patricia Roberts Harris to lead the Housing and Urban Development when he took office in
1977.


Harris said, “I feel deeply proud and grateful this President chose me to knock down this barrier, but also a little sad about being the ‘first Negro woman,’ because it implies we were not
considered before.”


Senator William Proxmire questioned Carter’s choice, saying Harris came from too much wealth and influence to be an effective leader. But Carter stood by his decision, and Harris stayed in the position for two years.


The 39th president’s name is also included on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.


Civil rights activist, Rev. Al Sharpton recalled a conversation he shared with Carter.


“It was very significant, I was talking there at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, and I was talking to President Clinton and President Carter,” Sharpton recalled. “And when Clinton and I finished talking, President Carter touched me on my arm and said, ‘How are you doing with your ministry, Al? I see you out there with your activism. Don’t leave your ministry … keep your prayer life going.’ And you could tell he sincerely meant it. He was not one who talked about his religion as a political kind of something you could say to voters.”


President Joe Biden declared January 9, 2025, a national day of mourning. Millions watched the former president’s funeral on television as he was remembered as a man of honesty,
compassion and faith – which included championing the rights of Americans who knew firsthand the struggle of injustice

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Black History

The Congressional Black Caucus Prepares for “Important” Work

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The Congressional Black Caucus started the 119th Congress with its largest membership. There were 62 members sworn in today.

“On behalf of the entire Congressional Black Caucus, congratulations to the members of the Executive Committee of the 119th Congress. 53 years after our Caucus’ founding, our work to improve the lives and conditions of Black people in America is more important than ever before,” said CBC President Steven Horsford.

Photo Credit: Ron Busby, U.S. Black Chambers Inc.

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