In honor of Black History Month, let us remember one of the first black businesswomen and the pioneer of black cosmetics. Thank for the tip J!

Madam C.J. Walker was born on December 23,1867 on a Louisiana plantation. She was the daughter of former slaves. She became an orphan at seven-years-old and at 14 was married to Moses McWilliams. And after McWilliams died, She and her daughter moved to St.Louis.

Walker began suffering from a scalp ailment and after experimenting with homemade remedies she moved to Denver and started to sell Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower.

She traveled throughout the South and Southeast selling her products. She eventually moved again, this time to Indianapolis where she built a factory and training school for her beauty products.

the savvy businesswoman traveled throughout the world to Central America and the Caribbean promoting and expanding her line. When she returned to the United States she would move once again- to New York. As her business expanded, she became known around the country, even organizing a convention called Madam C.J. Walker Hair Culturists Union of America in Philadelphia in 1917. The convention became one of the first national meetings of businesswomen in the country.

By the time she died at her estate, in New York, she was known as a 20th Century, self-made American Businesswoman and a pioneer of the black cosmetics industry!