Remember a few scrolls ago, when I said "black women know hair?" Well, few black women knew hair like Madam C. J. Walker, who was born Sarah Breedlove in 1867. In the 1890s, Walker began suffering from a scalp ailment that resulted in her losing most of her (very long, very gorgeous) hair. After consulting others for advice and experimenting with multiple homemade remedies and store-bought products, Walker founded her own hair-care business, changed her name to "Madam" C. J. Walker, and began selling her namesake Wonderful Hair Grower, a conditioning treatment and healing scalp formula.
Not only did Madam Walker change the game for black women's hair care products, but she also used her wealth and success to advocate for civil rights and the advancement of black Americans. Walker was considered to be the first self-made African-American businesswoman in history; at the time of her death in 1919, she was worth over $1 million — a major achievement for any woman, but especially for one whose parents were slaves. She was basically the Beyoncé of the black beauty world.