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Woman of Wonder, Madam C.J. Walker
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are looking at some fascinating women who made a mark and a change in this world. Let’s look at this Woman of Wonder, Madam C.J. Walker.
Not only was she an outstanding entrepreneur, but she made accomplishments unheard of for the times in which she lived. Born in 1867 to parents who had been slaves, Sarah Breedlove was the first person born free in her family. She married Charles Joseph Walker and became known as Madam C. J. Walker, a familiar name still used on haircare merchandises today.
In the Beginning
Madam Walker had brothers who were barbers which came in handy when she began having hair loss. After spending time talking with them, she created a formula that healed scalp infections. Later she started her own line of haircare products such as Wonderful Hair Grower and Scalp Ointment.
An Entrepreneur
She was an entrepreneur. Her haircare goods helped grow and smooth hair, prevent baldness, and reduce dandruff. She was able to provide jobs to thousands of women who went door-to-door across the United States and the Caribbean. Because of her inventiveness, she became the first female African-American millionaire.
Philanthropy
Madam C.J. Walker was a strong supporter of the African American community. She made a $1000 donation to a new YMCA building in Indianapolis. She funded scholarships for Tuskegee Institute and Daytona Normal Institute for Girls. She also became a supporter of the Harlem Renaissance arts.
All About Madam C.J. Walker 
All About Madam C.J. Walker is about this remarkable woman and the way she helped change and shape the world. This book by A’Lelia Bundles, the great-great granddaughter of Madam Walker, will inspire young readers and older readers alike even as the woman herself inspired many.
The Author
A’Lelia Bundles is chairman of the board of the Foundation for the National Archives, a vice chairman of Columbia University’s board of trustees, a member of the advisory boards of the Indiana
Historical Society’s publication committee, and of the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. She is the great-great-granddaughter of Madam C. J. Walker and lives in Washington, D. C.
You can see more books in the All About…Series here. Also available in the All About…Series are Teachers Guides. To find out about the books Blue River Press publishes, go to our book shop. If you have any questions, please contact us here or give us a call at 317-352-8200.
Blue River Press has more than 100 books and e-books in print and is distributed nationally by Cardinal Publishers Group.
Happy Reading,
Ginger Bock 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — One of the Most Influential Americans
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most influential Americans of the 20th century. He is remembered for his leadership in the civil rights struggles during the 1950s and 1960s in the American South. Dr. King is also remembered for his powerful speeches and sermons, his philosophy of nonviolent resistance,” and his commitment to ending segregation, unjust laws, and poverty.
Dr. King’s father, also named Martin, was a Baptist pastor, and he taught young Martin that segregation was wrong. These many conversations and experiences with his father would shape young Martin’s life in powerful ways and would, in fact, prepare him to be a great American leader.
Although Martin’s life ended violently, he will always be remembered for his peaceful marches and for his speeches about social change. Every year, on the third Monday of January, Americans celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a national holiday. It also allows Americans to remember that the dream of equality and the promise of justice for all is still a work-in-progress.
When we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. we are not only remembering a great American, but a great person. Dr. King said that he wanted to be remembered as a person who “gave his life in the service of others.” He wanted to be remembered as a person who fed the hungry and loved other people—regardless of race.
The above is an excerpt from All About Martin Luther King, Jr. written by Todd Outcalt and published by Blue River Press 2016.
Blue River Press publishes The All About…Series, which also includes Teachers Guides. The All About…Series are written for middle school aged children to teach them about the people, places, and events that shape our world.
To see more amazing, interesting, and fun books, browse our book shop online. If you have any questions, contact us here or give us a call at 800-296-0481.