Octavia Spencer as Madam C. Thousands of people, who already know at least a little bit about her, will tune in with hopes of learning something new. They have been waiting for decades for this particular tale. The excitement reminds me of the s and s when those of us of a certain age ran to our televisions on the rare occasions when a black person appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show or when Nat King Cole finally hosted a show in The seeds that were planted decades ago are in full bloom.
A century after her death, Madam Walker is having a moment. Walker, the biography that provided the factual material for the fictionalized four-part Netflix series.
For the edition — available for pre-order now! I also recorded an audio book which already is available. The book temporarily has been renamed Self Made to tie in with the series promotion. There are many events and initiatives during the last 50 years that have set the stage for this moment.
Nelson, whose grandfather Freeman B. Ransom was general manager and general counsel for the Madam C. In , Alex Haley, whose fame from the Roots miniseries still was cresting, approached us about producing a Madam Walker project. Walker: Entrepreneur , a young adult biography published in And the scholarship continues. Among the projects:.
So, yes, the Netflix series will introduce Madam Walker to many people who otherwise would never have known about her. Click here to sign up for our newsletter. First and foremost, she will always be known as the daughter of Madam C. Walker, the early 20th century hair care entrepreneur and philanthropist. But she also was her own person with interests, personality traits, likes, dislikes and a fascinating circle of friends.
