When she was seven, she became an orphan and was sent to Vicksburg, Mississippi, to live with her sister and brother-in-law, who forced her to work in the fields and wash clothes to earn her keep.

J. Walker is joining Barbie's lineup of Inspiring Women dolls which pays tribute to "incredible heroines of their time; courageous women who took risks, changed rules and paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever before. That's why [her] outfit is lavender, purple, and turquoise," Bundles shares of the final look, in which the Madam Walker doll is wearing a puffed-sleeve, high-neck, purple floral top, and a long blue skirt, accessorized with light blue heeled boots and drop-pearl earrings.

Lelia, who adopted her stepfather's surname and became known as A'Lelia Walker, was in her early 30s and living in Harlem when she encouraged her to move to New York City with her in 1916. The doll's packaging even includes a photograph of Madame Walker's agents arrayed around the balcony of her mansion in Irvington, New York.

After experiencing hair loss from a scalp condition in the 1890s, Walker experimented with at-home treatment remedies and developed her first hair product in 1906. But aside from her beauty empire, Walker was also known for her philanthropic and social justice efforts, including her contributions to the NAACP anti-lynching movement. Nuera said he made sure to capture Walker’s essence with his design by incorporating her favorite colors into the doll’s clothes, along with incorporating Walker’s hair care products.Some of Walker's favorite colors included rich purples and turquoises, so that's what I put her in,” Carlyle explains. She's a woman who founded a haircare products company," Bundles told CBS New York in an interview earlier this year. Created by Mattel, Barbie is an iconic fashion doll that encourages creativity, storytelling, and endless possibilities. Barbie has also used the Inspiring Women line to highlight Jane Goodall, Maya Angelou, and Rosa Parks.

This collectible doll wears a full-length skirt and a blouse with beautiful floral print and ruffled details, reflecting her joyful fashion-forward aesthetic.

Her daughter would eventually convince her to move to the Harlem neighborhood in New York City, which had become the center of Black culture and politics in America.

Babygirl' is the new type of man that everyone loves - from Barry Keoghan to Jacob Elordi (although nobody can quite agree what it means! J. Walker’s great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, Walker’s significant contributions to the beauty industry have opened doors for generations of Black women. Ashley Park shares a hug with Emily In Paris star Lily Collins as she is 'recovering and resting in Paris'. NFL microphone catches Chiefs tight end saying 'I love you' to popstar girlfriend for the first time.J. Walker is an embodiment of our Barbie Inspiring Women series,” said Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls at Mattel, in the statement. She founded the Walker Manufacturing Company, which created hair treatment products and cosmetics designed for Black women, and at the height of her success, Walker employed thousands of Black women. Walker, often referred to as the nation's first documented self-made female millionaire, was known for her entrepreneurial skills as she built her haircare and cosmetic brand from scratch. Walker traveled through the South and Southeast selling her hair products door-to-door, and temporarily moved her base to Pittsburgh to train "hair culturists" at Lelia College, which she founded. On Her Own Ground” was the “inspiration” for “Self Made,” the fictional four-part Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer.