In this piece, we are going to be addressing the legacy of a woman who was not only a trend setter, 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 a lot of 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 the trauma of
experiencing hair loss. She turned something negative into something
positive, all due to the change in perspective she had.
Walker 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 time when there were very few black renowned
entrepreneurs, which meant that there was little opportunity for Walker to find
inspiration and encouragement 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. This shows us that putting the work in regardless of what odds appear
against you may bring to you forms of success that you would never have
imagined.
- 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 hair, we are not restricting ourselves to only producing content about hair. 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 that 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