On March 16, 2010 a resolution was introduced in the House by Congressman Charles B. Rangel to recognize Madam C.J. Walker for her achievements as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. The entire resolution, Resolution HJ 81 IH can be viewed on Govtracks.us. A portion of it follows.

Joint Resolution

Recognizing Madam C.J. Walker for her achievements as a trailblazing woman in business, philanthropist, and 20th century activist for social justice.

• Whereas Madam C.J. Walker was born on December 23, 1867, on a plantation in Delta, Louisiana;
• Whereas Madam C.J. Walker was the fifth of six children born to freed slaves Owen and Minerva Anderson Breedlove, and the first of the Breedloves’ children born after the end of slavery;
• Whereas, in 1905, Madam C.J. Walker invented a conditioning treatment designed to improve the health of Black women’s hair;
• Whereas Madam C.J. Walker was a pioneer of what has become a multibillion dollar international cosmetics industry;
• Whereas Madam C.J. Walker established a groundbreaking national and international business empire, first selling products door-to-door, then developing a marketing strategy, which included selling products through the mail;
• Whereas, in 1910, Madam C.J. Walker built a factory on land she purchased in Indianapolis, Indiana, to manufacture her line of cosmetic products, a historic achievement for a Black businessperson of that time;
• Whereas Madam C.J. Walker was committed to employing women in all aspects of her business, training well over 1,000 agents across the Nation and fostering the entry of Black women into the business world;
• Whereas Madam C.J. Walker’s central message was pride and empowerment;
• Whereas Madam C.J. Walker used her charisma, along with an army of sales agents, to sell her cosmetic products, a strategy that has influenced the marketing of beauty products since that time;
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HJ-81 will come up for a vote after Congress returns from spring recess in mid-April. Show your support for the resolution by writing to your local representative.

Madam C.J. Walker is a national treasure and an industry pioneer of epic proportion, don’t let this resolution die in committee with the rest of the them.