By Mary N. DiZazzo

Madam C. J. Walker was the first female American millionaire as an entrepreneur in making facial and hair care products for African-American women in the 1920s

Ciao bella,

Madam C. J. Walker was an amazing woman. She was born Sarah Breedlove on a Louisiana Plantation after the Emancipation from parents who were former slaves. In 1905 she married a St. Louis newspaperman and changed her name to Madam C. J. Walker.

She became interested in hair care in her late 30s when due to damaging hair products and stress caused her hair loss. In order to treat her condition she developed her own formula at home selling it to friends and family and selling it door to door. She built an empire. As quoted by Walker "I am not merely satisfied in making money for myself, for I am endeavoring to provide employment of the women of my race." Her daughter A'Lelia inherited her mother's beauty and hair care empire. And to this day she admires her mother's self taught business skills in order to achieve such great success caring for the needs of African-American women to this day.

Recently on an Antiques Road Show one of Madam C.J. Walker's Beauty Text Books on Beauty Culture was appraised. Being a First Edition the book was appraised at $10,000! Wow!

So if you have an extra $10,000 you can make history too!

Buona Pasqua to all!

--Mary N. DiZazzo-Trumbull

Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns at www.allthatzazz.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or mary@mary4nails.com.