Just Who is Annie Turnbo-Malone?
I know what you are thinking. “Who is Annie Minerva Turnbo-Malone, and what should I care?” If you do not know her story, you need to!
Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone was one of the first African American millionaires.
Annie M. Turnbo Malone
Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Wealthy Philanthropist
August 9, 1877 — May 10, 1957
Birthplace: Metropolis, Illinois
Annie was the 10th of 11 children born to formerly enslaved people. As a young girl, she found herself an orphan and frequently ill. Annie loved chemistry in school and used her fascination with chemistry and skills in hair care to create and sell her own cosmetic products. After experimenting with different mixtures, she developed “Wonderful Hair Grower,” which she sold by going door-to-door. She gave away samples and treated prospective clients’ hair for free to promote her products.
She also hired a few salespeople, one of whom was the famous Madam C.J. Walker, who later became her biggest competitor. After Madam C.J. Walker allegedly used Annie’s formula, Annie got legal intellectual property protection, using the product name “Poro.”
She later started Poro College, named for her product. She employed about 200 people in St. Louis. Eventually, she created approximately 75,000 jobs for women in North America, South America, Africa, and the Philippines through her school and franchises.
By the 1920s, Annie Turnbo Malone had become a multi-millionaire. As a matter of fact, in 1924, Annie paid almost $40,000 in income taxes, reportedly the highest in Missouri at that time and still a significant amount of money even for today. Like many other rich black women in her time, she lived modestly. She used her wealth to donate to charities and organizations, such as the local black YMCA and Howard University’s Medical School in Washington, DC.
Annie almost lost the empire she created with her business. Her husband filed for divorce and wanted half of her business. With the support from others, she was able to negotiate a settlement of about $200,000 to keep her company and get divorced from him. She was able to bounce back and expand once more before eventually needing to downsize her operations. She still was significantly wealthy and successful when she died. She left her business and estate to her nieces and nephews.
In her lifetime, her reach was global, and her legacy continued beyond her death.
Historically, the accomplishments of black women are omitted from mainstream history books and the educational curriculum of American children today. Many young people, and even more sadly, many adults, do not know of the significant accomplishments and contributions made by African American women. Black women have forever been contributors to the building of our great nation. However, they are rarely spoken of and unknown.
And when Black History Month rolls around, the same names are spoken, including the women, such as Coretta Scott King and Rosa Parks Harriet Tubman. Their notoriety is certainly well-deserved. But so many more like those women exist, before and since they lived.
This series of articles are excerpts from the book “Real Queens Like Me: Stories of Great Black Women Who Changed the World,” a biographical compilation of stories of real black women who exist or existed in America’s history and have contributions or achievements that changed the world for the better. Let’s together ensure their legacy lives by educating and inspiring African American women and girls worldwide with true stories of great black women who changed the world.
If you’ve been inspired by this article, I encourage you to purchase the book Real Queens Like Me: Stories of Great Black Women Who Changed the World. It’s available on Amazon.
If you know a black woman who has made significant contributions in history or in your community that you think the world should know about, we want to hear from you.
Share their story with us so we can share it with the world! She may just be added to our next article or book on Real Queens and Black Women Who Changed the World. Go here to submit:
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