14. Madam C. J. Walker Was Inducted Into the National Women’s Hall of Fame
The National Women’s Hall of Fame is an American organization founded in 1969 by a group in Seneca Falls, New York, the location of the 1848 women’s rights convention. The Hall was initially hosted by Eisenhower College until 1979 when it renovated a historic bank building in Seneca Falls which became the permanent home of the Hall of Fame exhibition. The Hall inducts women annually through a rigorous selection process that examines the women’s contribution to social or cultural change, the arts, or other areas of impact and have achieved lasting cultural relevance.
Madam C. J. Walker was inducted in 1993, only 24 years after the Hall was founded. She joined her friend Mary McLeod Bethune as an honoree. Other notable members include Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, and Sally Ride.
Of Walker, the Hall had to say, “As the wealthiest African-American woman of her time, Walker used her prominent position to oppose racial discrimination, and her massive wealth to support civic, educational and social institutions to assist African-Americans.” They also noted the unique role of her women’s conferences, saying “Walker encouraged women’s economic independence by training others and by serving as a powerful role model.”