Old News: Madam C. J. Walker incorporates in Indy

• Walker, born Sarah Breedlove, built a business selling hair-care products designed for Black women.
• She arrived in Indy in 1910, attracted by the city's transportation connections and manufacturing prowess.

• That same year, she converted property at 640 N. West St. into a home, factory and office.

Fun fact: The articles of incorporation for the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company were drafted by Robert L. Brokenburr, Indiana's first Black state senator.

Zoom in: Walker's decision to make Indianapolis the headquarters of her growing empire helped put the city at the center of Black entrepreneurship in the early 20th century.

• The operation eventually included a laboratory and beauty school, helping train the women who sold her products around the country.
• The company trained thousands of people, creating economic opportunities for Black women who otherwise faced limited employment options.

The latest: The Madam Walker Legacy Center, built in 1927, stands as a reminder of the business, cultural and civic footprint she left on Indiana Avenue.

• Next year marks the center's 100th anniversary and the final year of its current five-year strategic plan, which included the establishment of an $8 million endowment earlier this year.