Madam C. J. Walker — Empire Builder Hoodie

She built an empire. We carry the legacy.

Sarah Breedlove was born in 1867 on a Louisiana plantation, the first child in her family born free. She was orphaned at seven and widowed at twenty, and she spent years doing laundry for about $1.50 a day.

Then she built something of her own.

As Madam C.J. Walker, she created a line of hair-care products for Black women and built a national company around it. She trained thousands of Black women as sales agents and beauty culturists. For many of them it was their first real path to financial independence. She's widely recognized as one of America's first self-made female millionaires.

She gave the money back, too. She funded scholarships, the YMCA, and the NAACP's anti-lynching campaign. Her company held one of the first national conventions for businesswomen in America, and she used it to push her agents toward political activism and charity.

She didn't wait for a seat at the table. She built the table, and then she made room for thousands more.

The design:

Front: A gold-and-leopard collage of Madam Walker surrounded by her empire: her agents at work, her products and her storefront. Below it: "She Built an Empire. We Carry the Legacy."
Back: Her portrait framed in gold filigree, with her hair-grower tin and factory, over "Visionary • Entrepreneur • Philanthropist."
Sleeve: The gold Ryland Works crown on the right sleeve.
For every stylist, entrepreneur and woman building something from nothing. This is where it started.

Ryland Works. Built to Endure.