In this piece, we are going to be addressing the legacy of a woman who was not only a trendsetter, but was the beginning of what would be global recognition of Afro hair products! We could only be talking about the one and only, Madam C. J. Walker.
Despite her renowned presence in the history of Afro hair products, it isn’t uncommon for people to not know of her significant story. I mean, the education system here in the U.K has never been expansive enough to cross such spheres of influential figures in history. But, with the help of research, we’ve got ourselves the essential details of her life, and will be providing you with this information in an easy read.
We hope you take something from her story, just as we did. Her strength, dedication, passion, and endurance, led her to the success that in her time seemed not only unlikely, but impossible.
Madam C. J. Walker was the first black female millionaire in the United States of America. How did she do that exactly? Well, it of course was no overnight success or achieved by stumbling across a load of cash on a walk home one day. Instead, it all started from something negative, that being, hair loss.
Walker was inspired to create hair growth products after experiencing hair loss. She sold her products herself, working as an independent marketer, but this was no easy feat at all. There was an endless amount of “negative energy” surrounding her, with doubters ranging from her own husband and children, to her white and seemingly superior competitors. They had little faith in her business potential and even tried to suggest to her other careers to pursue, ones that appeared more promising for a black woman to be in. This all happened during a period when there were very few black renowned entrepreneurs, which meant that there was little opportunity for Walker to find inspiration in people who looked like her. Despite this, Walker still pursued her dreams, knowing full well that to many, she was guaranteed to fail.
There was no guarantee that Walker’s business would turn her into a millionaire, but through hard work and consistency, she was able to reach her potential and see for herself as well as prove to others, just how far she could go.
We’d like to encourage you to take a moment to reflect on her story, and ask yourself the following questions:
What am I doing to achieve my goal(s)?
What obstacles, if any, are there and how can I overcome them?
What do I need to do to make my dream(s) turn into reality?
What allowed Walker to be successful, even though she had so many challenges?
Although we specialise in wigs, we are not restricting ourselves to only producing content about wigs. We want to provide you with encouraging and empowering content, which at times, may fall out of the confines of hair and beauty. We all have dreams and face challenges along the way of pursuing them, which makes this subject something we all can relate to.
‘’The only thing stopping you from achieving your dreams, are the stories you keep telling yourself that you can’t. Don’t wait-act now. Regret nothing.’’ –Denzel Washington.
We look forward to providing you with more motivational and uplifting content.
With lots of love, the London Virgin Hair team x
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