Short Stuff: Madam C.J. Walker

# Stuff You Should Know Episode Summary

This episode tells the inspiring rags-to-riches story of Madam C.J. Walker, recognized by Guinness as the first self-made female millionaire in America. Born Sarah Breedlove on a Louisiana cotton plantation just after slavery ended, she overcame a hardscrabble childhood marked by poverty and loss to build a hair care empire that revolutionized the beauty industry and employed tens of thousands of Black women agents across the country. Beyond being a savvy businesswoman and marketing genius, Walker emerges as a radical civil rights activist and feminist who used her growing wealth and platform to empower Black women economically and socially while advocating for their dignity and better treatment during the early 20th century.