There is particular passion for empowering minority groups through the representation of their past experiences. A dissertation can serve as an opportunity to fuel this passion by investigating the ‘whiteness’ of American beauty standards between 1945-1960. This research aims to highlight the adversity African American women encountered in this realm, an obstacle that women of color continue to face today.

While it is crucial to acknowledge the discrimination African American women faced, it is also important to avoid reducing these women to passive victims in historiographic representations. Utilizing Gale Primary Sources like Archives of Sexuality and Gender, Nineteenth Century Collections Online, The Sunday Times, and Archives Unbound, this blog post honors the life and work of Madam C.J. Walker, a trailblazer in the American beauty industry.