15. Madam C. J. Walker’s Daughter Continued Her Legacy of Philanthropy
Madam C. J. Walker’s only daughter, A’Lelia Walker, born Lelia McWilliams in 1885, played a huge role in her mother’s business. She was central to the decision to open an additional beauty training studio in Harlem and lived in a beautiful townhouse in Harlem to oversee the New York operations. A’Lelia became a fixture of the Harlem art scene after moving to New York, and soon followed in her mother’s footsteps of philanthropy in the arts.
A’Lelia’s townhouse was frequented visited by popular jazz and ragtime musicians, artists, politicians, actors, and poets. Like her mother, she befriended many Black visionaries of the time. Her townhouse came to be known as The Dark Tower and was essentially an American version of the French cultural salons of old. Patrons and artists mingled freely with each in her home.
Until her death in 1931, The Dark Tower served as a safe space for all manner of artists. Her mother would doubtless have been proud of her daughter’s dedication to protecting and encouraging artists throughout her life. The Dark Tower itself was a result of patronage of Black artists, as Black architect Vertner Tandy, the first Black licensed architect in New York and founder of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, designed the building.