ANOTHER NETFLIX MOVIE ALERT: Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C.J Walker
- CelebTea By3rdEye
- Mar 2, 2020
- 5 min read
Based on the biography " On Her Own Ground " by Alelia Bundles is set to premiere on Netflix March 20, 2020.
Written by Nicole Jefferson Asher, Executive-Produced by Octavia Spencer who is also starring as Madam CJ Walker, along with others apart of the production team such as Lebron James, Maverick Carter, Janine Sherman Barrois, and Kasi Lemmons. The four-part limited series is inspired by the book "On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker," Which was actually written by Walker's great-great-granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles. Self Made is a chronicle to Madam C.J Walker's iconic rise to fame and fortune.
Sarah Breedlove Known as " Madam C.J Walker," was a black entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. She was considered to be one of the wealthiest black businesswomen and wealthiest self-made women in America at the time of her death in 1919. Born on a cotton plantation on December 3rd, 1867 in Delta Louisiana, where her parents had been slaves before the civil war, she was the first member of her family to be born free. Losing her mother at the age of five and shortly after also losing her father at age 7, growing up in a era with political violence which included the brutal lynching of Indigenous/ Blacks were common, so most of her consciousness about the rights of our Indigenous people, was planted in her mind at an early age. After the death of her Father, Sarah moved in with her older sister Louvenia and Louvenia's husband who was said to be very abusive. Sarah was able to move out after she married at the young age of 14. She then gave birth at 17 on June 6th, 1885 to her daughter who she and her husband Moses McWilliams named Lialian later known as A'Lelia. Sarah became a widow and single mother shortly after when her husband was killed in a tragic accident in 1887. After tragically losing her husband, Sarah relocated to St. Louis in 1889, where her four brothers were barbers. Sarah found work there in St. Louis making ends meet to support her and her daughter as a laundress and cook. She was able to wash clothes at home as a laundress, and also be able to be there for her daughter Lilian as a fulltime mother.
Being able to put aside each week she was later able to send her daughter Lialian to college in Knoxville Tennessee. Sarah joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she met leading Indigenous/ Black men and women, whose education and success inspired her. She also married again in 1894, to a man by the name of John Davis but shortly divorce in 1910, right before her daughter went to college. Sarah's life took a big turn in 1904, after suffering from hair loss and coming up with her own hair formula to grow her hair back, she also started using businesswoman Annie Minerva Turnbo Pope Malone's hair product, " The Great Wonderful Hair Grower," but some say the real secrete of the way Sarah really grew her own hair back was washing it more often and applying Sulfur. Either way, Sarah became fond of Malone's long grown successful business so she also joined Malone's team of black women sales agents where initially Sarah's husband helped with advertisement and established a mail-order business. Also during that time businesswoman Annie Malone also mentored Sarah.
Walker's personal journey and the foundation of Malone's training would motivate Walker to begin manufacturing and selling her own products. In 1905 Walker moved from St Louis to Denver, Colorado to sell Annie's Malone Poro products. It was in Denver, Colorado where Sarah changed her name to Madam C.J Walker and decided to sell her own hair care products. According to the biography, On Her Own: The Life and Times of Madam C.J Walker, Walker received the formula for her own hair grower through a dream. Her hair products included her famous Wonderful Hair Grower, Hair and Scalp Preparation, & her Glossine and Pressing Oil.
Among other beauty supplies like creams and cosmetics, her best selling product was the Madam C.J Walker Wonderful Hair Grower.
This product ingredient contained petrolatum, coconut oil, beeswax, copper sulfate, carbolic acid, precipitated sulfur and perfume.
Some say Madam C.J Walker invented the "Hot Comb" but it is a misconception. As it is also a misconception that she was the only black/ indigenous woman to make a fortune from our black hair care industry. Tracing the history of the hot comb becomes very complicated due to misinformation unclear and missing documents. During my research for this article, it was very difficult to identify when the first hot comb was invented. Even tracing its patents was referred to by many names and seems to have had several inventors. During my research, I pulled up a gentleman by the name of Elroy J Duncan but prior to him I have traced the hot comb invention back to a Frenchman by the name of Marcel Grateau who by the way went by several names. Other individuals with patents for hot combs included but are most definitely not limited to, Walter Sammons and a woman by the name of Clara Grant.
After developing her hair care business and employing thousands Madam C.J Walker was a part of the executive committee of New York NAACP that organized the march in Harlem for the "Silent Protest Parade" that included ten's and thousands on indigenous/ blacks who marched up 5th ave. After that march Madam C.J Walker along with a group of protestors traveled to Washington D.C hoping to pass legislation to make lynching a Federal crime. So not only was Madam C.J Walker apart of the growing black hair care business she also created her own company that employed thousands of indigenous/ blacks who were able to educate their own children, build homes, and start other businesses, she also never forgot her roots. Paving the way for so many encouraging black men and women to pursue their dreams by becoming an activist and raising awareness to make a difference and to raise consciousness.
One thing is for sure is that I look forward to seeing this new movie on Netflix as well as hearing the reviews on it. Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C. J Walker release date has been set for March 20th, 2020, so make sure yall keep a lookout for it! And in the meantime between time Celebtea By3rdEye would like to send love, peace, and blessings. And we will catch yall in the next article!
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