I stumbled upon the history-comedy podcast “You’re Dead to Me”. It’s a show in which historians and comedians - a brilliant combo, eh! - are brought together ‘to learn and laugh about the past’, as they say. Here’s an interesting episode about the life of the Black American haircare entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919).
The haircare entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker
Now, Mrs Walker - originally named Sarah Breedlove - was the first child in her family born into freedom. (>> January 1, 1863, US President Abraham Lincoln signed the decree, which changed the legal status of more than 3,5 million African Americans from enslaved to free. Britannica). Still, though, she got a bumpy start in life. She was orphaned at the age of seven, got married at 14 - mainly as an escape from her abusive brother-in-law - and only had three months of formal education. But things were about to change. You can hear all about how Sarah transformed her life from the bottom of the social ladder to founding her own haircare company and becoming the first self-made woman millionaire in American history in the podcast. It's the US Professor Noliwe Rooks, chair of Africana Studies at Brown University, and the British stand-up comedian, podcaster, voice artist and author Athena Kugblenu who guides you through - and it truly is both fun and educational.
Run like a girl
Something to think about.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time - Majken xx
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