Black Hair-story

Honoring Black Hair Moguls 

Annie Malone

(Born 1869, in Metropolis, Illinois, Parents formerly enslaved)

Beauty School Pioneer

-Understood that African American women’s appearance represented a women’s class a social standing

-She realized that improving hair health also had a positive effect the lives on African Americans.

-Her motivation and passion for styling her sisters hair inspired Malone to develop products to help women adapt to a the “American beauty standard.”

-Experimenting with chemistry established a successful business and developed a product line that would improve scalp health and promote hair growth (Hair Grower being the most famous)

-Malone founded Poro College Company in 1902 which was a cosmetology school named after the West African organization that exemplified physicality and spirituality.

-Poro College was a center that employed many African American women who sold her products all over the world. One of her many salespersons was Madam C.J. Walker who later established her own hair care line and school similar to Malone.

-1920s Annie Malone’s Poro brand was one of the wealthiest African American women of her time

 Madam C.J. Walker

(Born Sarah Breedlove 1867, in Delta, Louisiana, Parents formerly enslaved when she relocated to Vicksburg Mississippi)

Manufacturer

-Struggling with her own hair issues Walker experimented with solutions while enrolled in Poro College.

-She later moved to Detroit where she continued to sale Poro products and married changing her name to Madam C.J. Walker.

-She started developing her own products relocating again to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she opened her own hair school Lelia College, employing and growing her empire

-Thru the opening of her beauty empire Walker became the first recognized self-made female millionaire

Lyda D. Newman (born ~1885, in Ohio)

Inventor of the improved hair brush design (at just 13 years old!)

-1989 patented a brush specifically designed for black women’s hair. The brush was constructed with firm, synthetic bristles differing from the animal hair brushed used at the time

- The brush lasted longer, with evenly spaced bristles to clean easier and quicker drying, along with a removable compartment to catch dirt and debris.

-Most of the brush designs we know today are because of Lyda Newman

-Aside from inventing Newman was a women’s activist especially for black women suffrage

Marjorie Joyner (1896, in Virginia)

1928 Joyner revolutionized the cosmetology industry forever with a hairstyling invention that would keep hair curls intact

-Joyner patented the “Permanent Waving Machine” which consisted of multiple rods connected to a drying hood.

- the invention was welcomed into many salons sitting under a drying hood to set their hair for long lasting style

-Franklin’s invention heated up her career and she went on to be a co-founder of the United Beauty School Owners and teachers Association

-She also started the Alpha Chi Pi Omega Sorority and Fraternity for beauticians and barbers

-Joyner’s passion for making a change for black women enduring racial discrimination during the 1930s Joyner worked alongside First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt becoming a leading on the Democratic National Committee.

              -She also helped find the National Council of Negro Women

Sara Spencer Washington

(1889, in Beckley West Virginia)

Founder of Apex News and Hair Company were a variety of products where advertised to Black style and culture

-With big success her brand expanded to Apex beauty Colleges and Apex Laboratories, Apex publishing Company (her empire included 11 beauty schools in the U.S and several schools abroad).

              -At one-point Washington had 45,000 Apex agents nationwide

-1939 Washington was recognized as one of the world’s top businesswomen at the New York World’s Fair helping bring more international recognition to the impactful contribution of black women

Rose Morgan

(1912, born in Mississippi and raised in Chicago)

-1938 she styled Ethel Waters’ hair where she was invited to New York City

-1945 she opened her own salon Rose Meta House of Beauty which would make over 3 million in sales over a few shot years

              - Morgan’s salon offered something different then most such as massages, skin care, coat check, making an elegant space where black women could be pampered which was normally not the something that was offered to black women

-1955 Morgan was able to open a new beauty school called “House of Beauty” which included dressmaking, a charm school, salon facilities and later a wig salon

Theora Stephens 

(limited information on year of birth and where she was from)

-1980s patent for a new and improved pressing and curling iron very similar to the one we use today

Willy Lee Morrow (1939-2022, raised in San Diego)

-Founded the California Curl Company which was noted for developing the afro pick or “Eze Teze” and the California Curl treatment precursor to the Jheri Curl

-Morrow’s Barber shop was located on Market St in San Diego from 1960s-1990s

-Morrow later wrote a manual on how to properly cut textured African American hair called “The Principles of Cutting and Styling Negro Hair”

-Morrow was contracted by the U.S. military to teach black hair styling techniques to military barbers

-Ernie Barners portrayed Morrow’s barbershop in a painting called “Willies Barbershop”