The Madam C J Walker celebrity doll portrays her at about 40 year old, around the time she started her hair care company, for the doll is holding a small jar of her product. Walker is known as the first self-made woman millionaire in the US, a philanthropist, and social activist.  The Black Label Barbie Signature doll was released by Mattel on August 24, 2022 for the retail price of $35.00. The doll was designed by Carlyle Nuera.

Barbie®

INSPIRING WOMENâ„¢
DOLL

Madam C. J. Walker

ENTREPRENEUR, PHILANTHROPIST, ACTIVIST
1867 – 1919
“Don’t sit and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” – Madam C. J. Walker

Madam C.J. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove in 1867 on a Delta, Louisiana cotton plantation. As the daughter of parents who were formerly enslaved and became sharecroppers, Walker would become a successful entrepreneur and the nation’s first documented self-made female millionaire. In St. Louis during the early 1900s, while working as a laundress to support her daughter, A’Lelia, she experimented with homemade and commercial products in her efforts to heal a scalp ailment that caused hair loss.

After a stint as a sales agent for another company, she moved to Denver, married Charles Joseph “C. J.” Walker and began selling Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower. Together they traveled through the South and Southwest training “hair culturists” and recruiting sales agents. In 1910, they moved to Indianapolis where Walker opened a factory, a salon and a beauty school.

As Walker’s enterprise grew, so did her commitment to philanthropy with donations to orphanages, YWCAs, YMCAs and Black colleges. As an advocate for social justice, she was a tireless supporter of the NAACP and other civil rights organization. With sharp instinct for business and unflinching determination, Madam C.J. Walker became a pioneer for modern Black haircare and created the blueprint for the self-made American businesswoman of the twentieth century.

Girls need more role models like Madam C.J. Walker because imagining they can be anything is just the beginning. Actually seeing that they can makes all the difference.

 

The Madam CJ Walker doll comes wearing a brightly colored purple flowered, cotton, puffed long sleeved blouse and a floor length dot embossed turquoise blue skirt. The blouse has a high neck with white ribbon trim and matching front ruffles and opens in the back with a Velcro closure. The draping skirt is also removable by a Velcro closure in the back.

The face is painted with brown eyes and dark musty rose lips. The hair is styled into a pony tail at the back with tight curl length pushed forward toward the face. The hair is parted in the middle in the front and a braid runs across the tot as a crown. The ears are adorned with white all plastic dangle earrings.

On the feet are a pair of dusty blue, hi-heeled, period ankle boots. The body size is a Barbie Curvy. Also a small plastic gold yellow jar of Madam CJ Walker hair-care product is also included as a prop. The top of the jar has a replica of Walker’s real product label printed in black. The top screws of to reveal white plastic cream texture inside.

The doll is articulated at the neck (45° tilt, 360° turn), shoulders (90° up and 360° turn), elbows (90° up and 360° twist), wrists(180° up and 360° twist), hips (45° to the side, 180° forward to back), and knees (90° back). Ankles and torso are fixed.

The doll comes with a black based plastic stand and a Black Label Certificate of Authenticity.

To get the current prices of the Madam C.J. Walker Barbie doll use these links.  The museum gets a small commission for qualified purchase using the following links. The doll comes in and out of inventory for $35.

The Smithsonian has a short documentary about Madam C.J. Walder on YouTube.

Here is a  more in depth World Channel documentary which includes her philanthropy and activism from YouTube.