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Fire and Ice: The Joy Goddess of Harlem


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A’Lelia Walker, an heiress to one of the first Black millionaires, was known for being a prolific partier during the Harlem Renaissance, but there was much more than partying going on behind the very public scene that was A’Lelia’s life. 

As the only surviving daughter of Madame C.J. Walker, there was a lot of pressure on young A’Lelia to keep the family business of hair care products alive. A lesser told story about A’Lelia is what happened when she tried to continue the legacy her mother started. As A’Lelia tried to follow in her mother's footsteps, she ended up deciding to make her own path instead.  

A’Lelia’s great-granddaughter and namesake, A’Lelia Bundles, writes all about it in her book Joy Goddess A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance. 

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It's UATLBy The Atlanta Journal-Constitution