Fact or Fiction: Netflix’s “Self Made” and the Real Story of Madam C.J. Walker

In episode two of “Self Made,” we hear from members of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), the largest federation of local black women’s clubs that was founded in 1896 to advocate for African American women’s rights and equality (including suffrage). What should viewers know about NACW?

In Episode 2, Margaret Murray Washington says, “It’s just not our place…We live in a man’s world…We choose to be here [in the kitchen] …We club women, we socialize in the serving room.” But given the origins of the NACW and its founding members, it is unlikely that they would have consigned themselves to the kitchen. The NACW was founded in 1896 (predating the NAACP) and included very independent women. Many of the early members and officers were college graduates, and outspoken, political activists and educators who traveled internationally.

While it would not be unusual for women today to celebrate with a champagne toast, this scene would have been very unlikely because many of the club women were supporters of the Temperance Movement and were opposed to drinking alcoholic beverages.

Did Madam Walker live next door to John D. Rockefeller, and did she visit him?

Madam Walker’s Villa Lewaro and Rockefeller’s Kykuit (a National Trust Historic Site) are about three miles apart in Westchester County, New York. There is no evidence, however, that the two owners met each other. It is unlikely that she would have walked onto his property or consulted him for advice.