On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker
Author: A'Lelia Perry Bundles
On Her Own Ground is the first full-scale, definitive biography of the legendary
Madam C. J. Walker was orphaned at seven; she was the daughter of slaves. At fourteen she married, and was widowed by the tender young age of twenty. She earned her living as a washerwoman for a mere salary of $1.50 a week. She discovered a hair care formula for black women. She died in 1919, but Madam Walker, overcame all odds, and built a beauty empire from the ground up. Her wealth was astonishing for a black woman she had done the unexpected. Madam Walker devoted her life to philanthropy and social activism. She formed friendships with great early-twentieth-century political figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington.
On Her Own Ground is not only the first biography of one of recent history's most amazing entrepreneurs and philanthropists; it is about a woman who is truly an African American success legend. This biography took two decades of dedicated research; the book is enriched by the author's exclusive access to personal letters, records and never-before-seen photographs from the family collection. Ms. Bundles also showcases the complex relationship between her mother and grandmother. A'Lelia Walker, a celebrated hostess of the Harlem Renaissance and renowned friend to both Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. In chapters such as "Freedom Baby," "Motherless Child," "Bold Moves" and "Black Metropolis," Ms. Bundles traces her ancestral rise to the top of an international hair care empire that was passed on and run by four generations of Walker women until its sale in 1985. Along the way, On Her Own Ground reveals surprising insights, tells fascinating stories and dispels many misconceptions.