Madame C.J. Walker is widely known as the first black woman millionaire and the mother of Black hair care. Born in 1867 to enslaved parents, Walker carved a lane for herself creating cosmetics and various products for Black women and our hair. Her profits were used to fund scholarships at Tuskegee Institute and other philanthropic endeavors for the advancements of her community. Walker also has generously to the NAACP.
Walker’s legacy extends to the Madame Walker Theatre Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Formerly her business headquarters, the building serves a different purpose, but one that continues Walker’s spirit of education and giving. “We use our historic building as a venue for celebrating cultural diversity, rich heritage and cultural traditions primarily through art from the African-American perspective,” representatives from the center explained.
With such a storied legacy, the honor of being paid tribute to seems befitting for Regis and Kahran Bethencourt of CreativeSoul Photography who partnered with the center. The Bethencourts are known for their artistic eye and appreciation for unconventional beauty. Often using Black girls as their muses, CreativeSoul Photography allows portraits to tell the stories.
Enlisting the gorgeous Kendall Xenia Lowe to be their muse for the tribute and Keondra Renee for hair and makeup, the melting of artistry was able to bring forth decades of hair styles worn by Black women from 1890 until now. Each decade after the 1950s are represented with Lowe’s coif molded to a style from that decade.
“We can't help but think that if she were still alive today,” the Bethencourts wrote, “she would be so proud of how she spearheaded an era of Black women becoming empowered and believing that they could aspire to wealth and economic prosperity.”