Black History
Octavia Spencer’s Netflix Series about Madam C.J. Walker Arrives Just in Time for ‘Sheltering in Place’
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.
In Arkansas a formerly all-Black school, Ouachita County Training School, has launched a national fundraising effort to restore the campus following its designation as a site on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the first corporate donations to OCTS, located in Bearden, Arkansas, came from the Katherine Anthony Foundation.
Anthony’s nephew, Steve, and CEO of Anthony Timberlands, presented a $10,000 check to the historic committee.
“We are happy to support the work of the Greater Bradley District Association and the Ouachita County Training School committee in their efforts to maintain the infrastructure and grounds of the training school, which is such an important part of the Bearden community,” Anthony said.
The National Park Service listed OCTS on the prestigious register in 2023.
“Since we received the news, we have been excited and motivated to raise the fund necessary to preserve this part of our history!” Virginia Ashley, committee president said. “We recognize the pivotal role OCTS played in educating several generations of young people who started right here and went on to contribute greatly to the Black middle class and the world.”
The gift of education
For education advocates, December holds a special place in American history. During the Christmas Season in 1952, the Supreme Court first heard arguments to eliminate segregation in the nation’s public schools. But, it took two more years before the Court issued its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, declaring segregation unconstitutional.
During the 1950s, OCTS educated Black students in the small southern town south of Little Rock, which became known internationally for The Little Rock Nine and their efforts to integrate Central High School. In Bearden, several Rosenwald Schools had consolidated to create the larger OCTS campus that educated students from the first through the 12th grades.
“I have such wonderful memories of my days as a student at OCTS,” recalled Pearlie Newton, a retired educator and executive director of the OCTS historic committee. “My dad helped pour concrete at the campus, my husband and I met there and it was in one of the classrooms that my goal to become an educator took shape.”
Despite the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision eliminating “separate but equal” schools, OCTS remained segregated until 1971 when it merged with the white school district in the area. An association of Black Baptist churches known as the Greater Bradley District Association purchased the campus for use as its headquarters.
Pastor and Association Moderator, Verna Thompson, said, “We are excited about the renovation and look forward to holding our church services and meetings in a modernized facility that holds so much historic significance.”
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