Marjorie Joyner was an American businesswoman and the first African American woman to graduate from A.B. Molar Beauty School in Chicago. At A.B. Molar, Joyner met Madame C.J. Walker, the African American beauty entrepreneur and first female self-made millionaire in America. Joyner went to work for Walker, as the adviser for Walker’s 200 beauty schools across the nation. Joyner patented an improvement to the permanent wave, allowing women to curl or straighten their hair more comfortably with a scalp protector. In the years following, Joyner helped found the National Council of Negro Women and was an advisor to the Democratic National Committee. An activist for women’s rights, Joyner stated, “Men might think they do things all by themselves but a woman is always there guiding them or helping them.” #WOMENOFBLACKHISTORY #BLACKHISTORYMONTH
Women of Black History: Marjorie Joyner
