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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker
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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker Paperback - 2002

by A'Lelia Bundles

Bundles, a journalist and great-great-granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker, offers a lively portrait of an American businesswoman. Walker, the first freeborn child of slaves, rose from poverty to establish a successful hair-care business, became one of the wealthiest women in the United States, and devote herself to a life of activism and philanthropy toward race and women's issues. 16 page photo insert.


From the publisher

Soon to be a Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer, On Her Own Ground is the first full-scale biography of "one of the great success stories of American history" (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Madam C.J. Walker--the legendary African American entrepreneur and philanthropist--by her great-great-granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles. The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Sarah Breedlove--who would become known as Madam C. J. Walker--was orphaned at seven, married at fourteen, and widowed at twenty. She spent the better part of the next two decades laboring as a washerwoman for $1.50 a week. Then--with the discovery of a revolutionary hair care formula for black women--everything changed. By her death in 1919, Walker managed to overcome astonishing odds: building a storied beauty empire from the ground up, amassing wealth unprecedented among black women, and devoting her life to philanthropy and social activism. Along the way, she formed friendships with great early-twentieth-century political figures such as Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Booker T. Washington.

First line

Into a time of destitution and aspiration, of mayhem and promise, Sarah Breedlove was born two days before Christmas 1867.

Details

  • Title On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker
  • Author A'Lelia Bundles
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 416
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Scribner Book Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey, U.S.A.
  • Date 2002-01-01
  • ISBN 9780743431729 / 0743431723
  • Weight 1 lbs (0.45 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.28 x 6.18 x 1.14 in (23.57 x 15.70 x 2.90 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1900-1949
    • Chronological Period: 1851-1899
    • Chronological Period: 1900-1919
    • Ethnic Orientation: African American
    • Sex & Gender: Feminine
  • Library of Congress subjects Cosmetics industry - United States - History, African American women executives
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

Media reviews

Citations

  • Black Issues Book Review, 03/01/2002, Page 35
  • Ebony, 02/01/2009, Page 85
  • New York Review of Books, 12/05/2002, Page 57
  • New York Times, 01/13/2002, Page 24

About the author

A'Lelia Bundles, author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker, is Walker's biographer and great-great-granddaughter. Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker, the fictional four-part Netflix series inspired by this New York Times Notable Book and starring Octavia Spencer, premiered in the number one slot during its first weekend in 2020. She is chair emerita of the National Archives Foundation and a former ABC News Washington deputy bureau chief. She lives in Washington, DC. Visit her website at ALeliaBundles.com.
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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))
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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))

by Bundles, A'Lelia

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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))
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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))

by Bundles, A'Lelia

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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))
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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))

by Bundles, A'Lelia

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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker

On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker

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On Her Own Ground : The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker

On Her Own Ground : The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker

by A'Lelia Bundles

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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))
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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))

by Bundles, A'Lelia

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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))

by Bundles, A'Lelia

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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))
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On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker (Lisa Drew Books (Paperback))

by Bundles, A'Lelia

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