Two dollars and a dream

Duration: 56

Year Published: 1987

Creator: Filmmakers Library

Format: 16mm

Color: Color & B&W

Sound: sound

Description: Born the child of slaves freed by the Civil War, C.J. Walker was America's first self-made millionairess. Working for a druggist who sold Madame Poro's beauty solutions, Madam Walker combined her knowledge of cosmetics with two dollars and a dream to found her own company, selling twenty-three skin and hair products bearing her label to markets in the U.S., Europe and the Caribbean. Committed to improving the appearance of her people without re-making them according to Caucasian standards of beauty, Madame Walker provided career opportunities for the women in her employ and was a Note d philanthropist. When she died on May 25, 1919, the Walker Building in Indianapolis, housing a coffee shop, grocery store and movie theatre for Black films, was erected in her honor. C.J. Walker's daughter A'Leilia continued her mother's enterprise and was a renowned patron of the Harlem Renaissance. This portrait of two pioneering American businesswomen is accompanied by archival photos and footage and the reminiscences of former colleagues who place the Walkers' achievements within an historical context.