Hey everyone! So Annie Malone was born in Metropolis, Illinois, to parents who had once been enslaved. She was the tenth of eleven children and became an orphan at a young age. Even though she had to leave school because of illness, she was always fascinated by chemistry and science. She also developed a real passion for hair care, noticing that many Black women at the time used damaging products like goose fat or bacon grease to straighten their hair. Annie started experimenting and created safer hair-care products, including her famous “Wonderful Hair Grower.” She sold her products door-to-door in St. Louis and opened her first shop in 1902. Her business grew quickly, and she became one of the first Black female millionaires. One of her sales agents was Sarah Breedlove, who later became famous as Madam C.J. Walker. After a disagreement, Walker left and started her own hair-care brand, which led Annie to copyright her products under the name Poro to prevent imitation. As her business expanded, Annie moved to a larger facility and remarried, becoming known as Annie Malone. There are stories and dramatizations, like on Netflix, about her relationship with Madam C.J. Walker and how they eventually fell out, but Annie Malone’s legacy as a pioneering businesswoman and philanthropist remains strong.
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