Annie Turnbo Malone
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Profile
Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone (9 August 1877 or 1869 – 10 May 1957) was an American businesswoman, inventor and philanthropist. She is considered one of the first African American women to become a millionaire. In the first three decades of the 20th century, she established and grew a broad and influential commercial and educational company focused on cosmetics for African-American women. [1]
Annie Minerva Turnbo was the tenth of eleven children born to Robert and Isabella Turnbo. Her parents died when she was young, and she was adopted by an older sister. Annie attended high school in Peoria, Illinois, but she was often sick and missed class. While she didn't graduate, she found that she was excellent at chemistry. [2]
Products which Help African American Women’s Hair
When Turnbo and her family moved to Lovejoy, Illinois, she knew that she wanted to become a "beauty doctor." At the age of twenty, she had already created her own shampoo and scalp procedure to grow and straighten her hair. Bringing her invention to the streets, she walked around in a buggy giving speeches to illustrate and promote her new shampoo.
By 1902, Annie Turnbo's home shampoo venture thrived and moved to St. Louis, Missouri, home to the nation's fourth-largest African American population, to expand her business. She was quite successful, and she traded her beauty products under the name of "Poro." One of her protégés was Sarah Breedlove, who later became Madam C.J. Walker. [3]
The word "Poro" is a term in West Africa that denotes an organization whose aim is to discipline and enhance the body, both physically and spiritually. In 1906, she copyrighted the name. Poro's sales were driven by Malone's understanding and use of modern business practices, such as press conferences, advertisements in African American newspapers, and the hiring of women as the most convincing sales staff for its products. [4]
Annie Turnbo Malone’s Work and Contribution
Malone became one of the richest black women in the nation. She became a leading cosmetics entrepreneur, but she was also a leader in the black community of St. Louis. In 1918, Poro's success allowed Malone to build a four-story, million-dollar factory and beauty school complex in the historic black neighbourhood of "The Ville" in St. Louis. It employed more than 175 people and allowed young black women to pursue high school and college education by providing them with jobs and housing.
Malone was an active philanthropist, too. It contributed thousands of dollars to educational programs, universities, the YMCA, and almost every black orphanage in the country. She also served as president of the St. Louis Colored Orphans Home from 1919 to 1943. [5]
However, Malone’s contributions to African American culture are often overlooked as her business empire collapsed from mismanagement. One of her students, Madame C.J. Walker, set up a similar company and is largely credited with the origin of the black beauty business, a feat that Malone rightly belongs to. [6]
Reference
- ↑ Annie Turnbo Malone. en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved on Feb 4, 2021.
- ↑ Annie Turnbo Malone. historicmissourians.shsmo.org. Retrieved on Feb 4, 2021.
- ↑ Quintana, Maria. ANNIE TURNBO MALONE (1869-1957). Dec 20, 2009. blackpast.org. Retrieved on Feb 4, 2021.
- ↑ Brennan, Carol. Malone, Annie 1869–1957. encyclopedia.com. Retrieved on Feb 4, 2021.
- ↑ Quintana, Maria. ANNIE TURNBO MALONE (1869-1957). Dec 20, 2009. blackpast.org. Retrieved on Feb 4, 2021.
- ↑ Brennan, Carol. Malone, Annie 1869–1957. encyclopedia.com. Retrieved on Feb 4, 2021.