Madam C. J. Walker's Gospel of Giving

September 1, 2020
Set against the historical contexts of Black advancement and Black social organizations, this biography of entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker furthers readers' understanding of an impressive woman, and of Black women's philanthropy at large. Noting that historians tend not to deeply examine Walker's philanthropy, philanthropic-studies professor Freeman centers it here, taking an intersectional view through lenses of race, class, and gender. Freeman defines Black philanthropy as rooted in a collective consciousness through the shared experience of oppression: a transformative method of racial uplift wherein Black people became strategic agents of philanthropy instead of its distressed recipients. Meticulously researched using primary sources, the book is peppered with letters between Walker and her lawyer. Engaging narrative accounts of her exchanges with famous Black leaders characterize her as savvy and undaunted. Walker's detailed legacy is celebrated: she established a still-thriving Black beauty industry, legitimized beauty credentials as a form of industrial education to improve Black women's economic independence, and nurtured education as central to Black self-help. In this well-argued piece of scholarship, Freeman carves out valuable insights into Black history.Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from October 1, 2020

Freeman (philanthropic studies, Indiana Univ.) debuts with an in-depth biography of Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919), famous for being the first woman in the United States to become a self-made millionaire. Born Sarah Breedlove to enslaved parents in rural Louisiana, Walker was placed in the care of an older sister after her parents died when she was a child. Freeman takes care to acknowledge and fill in gaps in the historical record surrounding the life of Black people during early Reconstruction. The author follows Walker as she, her sister, and brother-in-law move to Mississippi to flee nearby lynchings and find work; it is here, as Freeman narrates, that Walker becomes a washerwoman. Freeman excels at writing an accessible narrative of time and place, continuing as Walker gets married, has a daughter, and becomes a widow in a short span of time. From there, she moves to St. Louis, getting involved in local church communities, marrying Charles Walker, and ultimately building a legacy by creating a hair care empire specific to the needs of Black women. Through it all, Freeman shows the challenges Black women faced in obtaining education and pursing business ventures. VERDICT A tremendous biography and a great study of philanthropy that will have strong YA crossover appeal.--Cicely Douglas, South Sioux City P.L., NE

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