Post by Admin on Mar 18, 2020 13:50:59 GMT -4
NETFLIX’S ‘SELF MADE’ REINTRODUCES THE WORLD TO AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK MILLIONAIRE, MADAM C.J. WALKER
The Netflix series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker is the up-close-and-personal reintroduction to the woman who set the standard for black female entrepreneurship in the haircare industry in America—Sarah Breedlove— affectionately known as Madam C.J Walker.
At a time when most blacks in America were a generation removed from slavery, women had no rights, and black people were considered three-fifths of a man; Walker had a vision for her life. That vision came to her after experiencing hair loss due to stress and weathering.
That vision would supersede her career as a washerwoman, help her overcome poverty, create thousands of jobs, and provide generational wealth for her family.
Walker’s Legacy is the very thing she fought for during an unconventional time for women in the early 1900s. While many of us are familiar with her story of becoming the first black self-made millionaire, the series written by Nicole Jefferson Asher with co-showrunners Elle Johnson and Janine Sherman Barrois, and inspired by the book On Her Own Ground written by her great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles marks the first time Walker’s story is being brought to the screen.
In the four-part limited series, Academy Award® winner Octavia Spencer stars as Madam C.J. Walker. And she is joined by an incredible cast starring Blair Underwood as her husband C.J. Walker, Tiffany Haddish as her daughter Lelia, Carmen Ejogo as Walker’s business rival Addie Monroe, Garrett Morris as Walker’s father-in-law, Kevin Carroll as her longtime lawyer Ransom and Bill Bellamy as Ransom’s cousin Sweetness.
Self Made tells a beautifully nuanced story of how Walker overcame gender bias, racial disparities, business rivalries, low self-esteem, heartbreak, and disappointments—and revolutionized the black haircare business while having a lasting impact on the black community.
Madam C.J. Walker was a storyteller and saleswoman who helped women and men in her community rewrite their narratives financially.
MEET THE STAR-STUDDED CAST
Self Made is a stellar series with some of the entertainment industries’ brightest stars.
Tiffany Haddish as Lelia Walker (Amanda Matlovich/Netflix)
“The supporting characters, I think really were important in terms of using them as markers of what was going on at the time. Ways to really show some of the things that Madam C.J. Walker was up against,” said Asher.
In the series, Tiffany Haddish plays the role of Walker’s only child and heir, Lelia Walker, who goes on to carry her legacy. Through Haddish’s relationship with Spencer on the screen, viewers are able to witness one of the first black mother-daughter-duos in business.
In Haddish’s own words, “Lelia is a young woman who really just wants to make her mom happy. But at the same time, she wants to live her best life. She wants to be happy. From time to time it’s difficult for her to figure out how to maneuver in a world where what she wants to explore and try isn’t considered natural or normal.”
Lelia’s story is also one of a woman who sees the possibilities of love and success without men.
“These (Lelia and Madam C.J. Walker) are strong women. They needed men, but the men that they needed were men that were willing to go along with them on the journey. And so, it was probably very complicated.”
Lelia Walker, too, was ahead of her time as a woman who learned the ins and outs of running a business alongside her mother.
Walker was adamant about creating pathways for success through business, not only for her daughter but for women all over.
“I think it’s so important for women to take their daughters under their wings and show them everything they know and grow with them. They (Lelia and Madam C.J. Walker) were literally growing together. Madam C.J. Walker had Lelia when she was 17 years old. They were mothers and daughters, but it was also like they were sisters and best friends,” said Haddish.
Being a part of the series was heart work for Haddish as she lives to inspire others.
“You might not always be going up about doing things the right way. But if you’re listening to your soul and it doesn’t compromise your morals, I say go for it. And that’s what I feel this whole series is about… listening to your soul, listening to God, and saying ‘I’m gonna go for it,’” said Haddish.
Indeed, Madam C.J. Walker was self-made. And, more than a century after leaving her mark on the world, her legacy lives on.
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker premiers Friday, March 20 on Netflix.
