By: Kim Milata-Daniels

It’s hard to imagine growing up in a family like that of A’Lelia Bundles. Her great-great grandmother was the legendary business woman Madam C.J. Walker. Her great grandmother – also named A’Lelia – helped Madam Walker in founding her cosmetics empire, and was a major patron of the arts during the Harlem Renaissance. Bundles’ grandmother and mother worked as successful and influential executives in the family business, as well. The spirit of the woman who fought her way out of Southern plantation life to become the first African American woman millionaire clearly was one passed through the generations, morphed to fit the times.

A’Lelia Bundles grew up knowing that the women in her family were special, and she knew the basic stories about Madam Walker’s path to success and about her contribution to history. She knew of A’Lelia Walker’s reputation for throwing the best parties in Harlem. It wasn’t until she was in college, though, that she realized just how much her grandmothers contributed to the world, and not just in the cosmetics industry. These women made a difference in business, in the arts, in politics, and they were committed to civic responsibility.

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