A'Lelia Bundles Quotes

Madam C.J. Walker was born in 1867, two years after the civil war ended. She was a daughter of a slave. She had no formal education. Both her parents died by the time she was seven. Yet, by the time she died in 1919 at age 51, she was one of the most successful businesswomen America had ever seen.

I hope that people will be inspired by Madam Walker's story. I hope that they will see her as a complex human being, and that they will want to dig more deeply, that they will want to know the details of her life.

There are two national historic landmarks: the Madam Walker Legacy Center in Indianapolis and the Madam C.J. Walker House in Irvington, New York.

Madame Walker was mythologized like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, but I want to show that she was fabulous on her own.

For many years Madam Walker was just a little footnote in history. As a woman who made haircare products, she was really consigned to something trivial.

I've always been fascinated by Madam Walker's ability to use her money for political causes. I find her story so inspires people that it gives me great joy to share the story.

Many people have told me that once they learn of Madam Walker's accomplishments they are surprised, even embarrassed, that they have never heard of her. But they shouldn't be. Her extraordinary story was simply omitted from the history books.

There is a core of people who know and love Madam C.J. Walker, but there's a much larger audience who don't really know about her. I think 'Self Made' will give people a window into her life.

The real Annie Malone was not a light-skinned woman.

I did a book in 1996, an overview of black history. In that process I became more aware of a lot of the black inventors of the 19th century.

Before Booker T. Washington, we have small business owners but we do not have a philosopher of black entrepreneurship, and that's what Washington was.

My composition often goes toward the black middle class or the black super-wealthy or strong historical black figures.

There's only two things that I really care about - apart from family - one is business and the other is women in business.

Madam Walker's legacy lives in her philanthropy as well as in an amazing line of hair care products.

From 1865 to 1965, my race, the black race, was one of the most competitive, entrepreneurial, Christian, moral races in our country. We had the highest percentage of entrepreneurs in the country, the highest percentage of marriage in the country.

Women are doing wonders as entrepreneurs.

As one of the pioneers of modern hair care and cosmetics, Madam Walker is still an inspiration to a lot of people going into the business.

I would say all power to women entrepreneurs out there.

Madam Walker was an incredible woman, but she wasn't the only one of her time who was. She just took it to the highest height.

I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations.

That cracker made a lot of African-American millionaires.

As there were no black Founding Fathers, there were no founding mothers - a great pity, on both counts.

The best way to become a billionaire is to help a billion people.

I am not merely satisfied in making money for myself, for I am endeavoring to provide employment for hundreds of women of my race. ... I want to say to every Negro woman present, don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them!

For a successful entrepreneur it can mean extreme wealth. But with extreme wealth comes extreme responsibility.