Madam C.J. Walker: A Pioneer's Story

Madam C.J. Walker: A Pioneer's Story

Read about the incredible life of Madam C.J. Walker and answer the questions that follow. Pay close attention to her challenges and successes.

Madam C.J. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove in Delta, Louisiana, in 1867, just after the Civil War. Her parents were recently freed slaves. She faced many challenges early in life, including becoming an orphan at age seven. Despite these difficulties, Sarah was determined to make a better life for herself.

Sarah later moved to St. Louis, where she worked as a laundress. It was there that she began to lose her hair and suffer from scalp conditions. This personal struggle inspired her to create her own line of hair care products specifically for African American women. She would become known as Madam C.J. Walker, a self-made millionaire and one of the most successful African American entrepreneurs of her time.

1. What was Madam C.J. Walker's birth name?

2. What inspired Madam C.J. Walker to create her hair care products?

3. Madam C.J. Walker was born in  , Louisiana.

4. Before starting her business, she worked as a  .

5. She became known as a self-made  .

6. Describe one challenge Madam C.J. Walker faced in her early life.

7. How did Madam C.J. Walker's personal experience lead to her business idea?

8. Madam C.J. Walker lived her entire life in poverty.

9. She created hair care products for all types of hair.