Madam C. J. Breedlove Research Papers

When you think of September you think of back to school. Right? We all remember the smell of a new box of crayons. Well in the 1900s that was not the case for many children in America. Labor laws were not fair, but there was one American woman in that era that said enough is enough. She fought hard on improving working conditions for many American Her name was Florence Kelley.

“And give up? Not on your life.” Nellie Bly retorted when told to give up her dream job of becoming a reporter. (The Adventures of Nellie Bly). Elizabeth Cochran (the name Nellie Bly was given at birth) was born on May 5, 1864, in Cochran Mills, Pennsylvania. Cochran Mills was named after her father who was a wealthy businessman, and she was often called “Pink” because her mother almost always dressed her in that color. Later, she added an “e” to the end of her last name for elegance. Nellie became a professional muckraker and was a widely read female stunt reporter. She married Robert Livingston Seaman in 1895, and retired from journalism. Unfortunately, she died on January 27, 1922 in New York, New York from pneumonia after a life abundant with conquering hardships and tenacity. Nellie Bly showed perseverance throughout her childhood, work life, and adulthood.

Sarah Breedlove, also known as Madam C.J. Walker, born on December twenty-third of eighteen sixty-seven in Delta, Louisiana. Sarah Breedlove is to be considered lucky as to which she was the first child in her family to be a “free-born” from slavery once her parents were allowed to leave. She lived a tragedy at such an early age of seven with the withdrawal of her parents’ lives in this world. Sarah was then later in the custody of her older sister. At such an early age, Sarah Breedlove was married to her first husband, Moses McWilliams, and became a teenage mother at eighteen with her daughter named A ’Leila. Two years later, her husband McWilliams passed away. While maintaining her young daughter at a public school with the low payment Sarah Breedlove received, she began to

Aunt Henrietta Jackson daughter of Fielding W Jackson and Elvira Ellis was born in January of 1878. Henrietta was about 11 or 12 when her father passed away leaving her mother to raise 7 children the 6 boys and Henrietta. She was charged with assisting her mom with the children as well as household chores, also learning how to work in the fields. Education was paramount in the Ellis-Jackson home and like her mother she too began a career as a school teacher at Poplar Hill School. During breaks from teaching (planting and harvesting season) Henrietta found work in Harriston, Fayette, and at one time thought of going to Memphis. Henrietta did marry a man from Franklin County whose name was Robert Jackson. “Nanch”, as the children called her, returned to Jefferson County to continue her teaching career after the death of Robert. Henrietta was a tough taskmaster and believed in a strict adherence to the

Susan B. Anthony was a prominent feminist author who started the movement of women’s suffrage and she was also the president of the National American Women Suffrage Association. Anthony was in favor of abolitionism as she was a fierce activist in the anti-slavery movement before the civil war.

Marjorie Stewart Joyner was born in Monterey, Virginia. She was born on October 24, 1896, and was the granddaughter of a slave and slave owner. After attending primary school, Marjorie moved to Chicago, Illinois to pursue a career in cosmetology. She attended the A.B. Molar Beauty School and she later became the first African-American woman to graduate from the school. At the age of 20, she met and married Robert E. Joyner.

Harriet Tubman spent most of her life trying to help slaves. She was a slave herself, she was born in Dorchester Country, Maryland in the year 1822. She started working at a very young age, by the age of 5 she was already doing child care and consequently by 12 she was doing field work and hauling logs, as she got older the job got harder. When she turned 26 Harriet decided to make a life-changing decision when her master died, she decided to abscond. She married a free black man. When she decamped, she spent 10 years helping the underground railroad, spent a day in Combahee River Raid, ---- years in Nursing 54th Mass, and spent most of her life, 50 years of it, care-giving. So, what was Harriet's greatest achievement? Harriet Tubman’s greatest achievement was the Underground Railroad while her other accomplishments were significant.

There are many wonderful people in history, one of those people are Jacqueline Cochran. She had a few jobs but she felt that they were not the ones that she desired the most. She was first to do something, and what she did was something that is inspiring to us.

Imagine growing up on a cotton plantation to former slaves in Delta, becoming an “orphan at the age of 7, becoming a wife at the age of 14, a mother at 17 and a widow at 20?” This all describes the early life of Sarah Breedlove, better known as Madam C.J Walker. “She supported her family by washing laundry and she used her earning as a laundress to pay for her daughter’s education at Knoxville College” .In 1889, Madam C.J Walker moved to St. Louis in search of a better future. She worked as “a saleswoman for a black hair-care entrepreneur named Annie Turnbo Malone who employed black women to sell her products door-to-door. After experiencing severe hair loss herself, Walker experimented with her own hair formulas” . Madam Walker

Tiffany M. Gill’s Beauty Shop Politics takes place during the Jim Crow era. Gill’s argument is that the role of African-American women is significant, but greatly overlooked in their tradition. These women were entrepreneurs and served their community, but their hard work and contributions went without recognition. On the first page of the Introduction, Gill mentions, “the black beauty industry since its inception has served as an incubator for black women’s political activism and a platform from which to agitate for social and political change. In so doing, I restore economics and entrepreneurship as important variables in black women’s activism and community building and argue that the beauty industry played a crucial role in the creation

Ella Josephine Baker was known to be an unsung hero during the trials and tribulations of the Civil Rights Movement. She was one of the women who contributed in achieving civil and human rights for minority people. She cooperated with many organizations to establish her goal, such as motivating the discriminated into standing up for themselves. Ella Baker’s childhood, political activism, and the influences of her actions all contributed in ending discrimination against African Americans and other minority groups during the Civil Rights Movement.

Harriet Tubman mostly known for her abolitionist work was a very influential woman that saved many slaves’ lives. She was born into slavery with siblings and parents by her side. She died on March 10, 1913, but is still remembered for all of her work. Harriet Tubman had a hard life in slavery, worked in the Civil War, rescued slaves, worked on the underground railroad and can be compared to Nat Turner who also lived in the period of time when there was slavery.

She immigrated to the U.S. in 1931 on her own and worked and studied as a teacher. It was not until she was 30 that she decided to become an artist. She was living in

Julia child- Cooking is like love it should be entered into without abandon. Julia Child was a french cuisine chef master. Her love for cooking didn 't start until she was 32 actually!

One of the main reasons I am interested in the field of cosmetology is because seeing the transformation of someone 's hair to fit what they like is heartwarming and knowing I am the one who helped them create a look they are most comfortable with is inspiring to me to want to do the best job I can. However, it’s not only about the transformation of someone’s hair but how that transformation can instill confidence and a sense of self-worth for a person. Having a client return time after time after I have met their expectations for either color, cut, or style will bring satisfaction not only to the customer, but to me as well.