Annie Malone

August 9, 1869 -May 10, 1957

Annie Turnbo Malone rose to be one of the nation’s wealthiest black women despite being the nation’s largest tax payer at that time due to disproportionate tax laws. Nonetheless, she was largely successful in the beauty industry and trademarked her products under the name “Poro.” Annie Turnbo’s  home shampoo venture thrived and she moved to “The Ville,” a sector of St. Louis, Missouri, that was home to the nation’s fourth-largest African American population, to expand her business. She became a leading cosmetic entrepreneur but she was also a leader in the St. Louis black community.  In 1918, Poro’s success allowed  Annie Malone to build a four-story, million dollar factory and beauty school complex right in the St. Louis’ “The Ville.”  It employed over 175 people and enabled young black women to pursue their high school and college educations by providing them with jobs and lodging. One of the young black women was Sarah Breedlove, known to most as Madam C.J. Walker. Additionally, throughout her lifetime, Malone was also an active philanthropist. She donated $2,000 to every HBCU in the country at that time and contributed thousands of dollars to educational programs, to the YMCA, and to nearly every black orphanage in the country.   

Source (www.freemaninstitute.com/poro.htm, www.blackpast.org, Wikipedia)