Overview

African-American women once used ingredients such as goose fat, heavy oils and other products to style their hair. Although their hair might have appeared shiny, it was damaging their hair and scalp. Years before Madam C.J. Walker began selling her products, Annie Turnbo Malone invented a hair care product line that revolutionized African-American hair care.

Early Life

On August 9, 1869, Annie Minerva Turnbo was born to Robert and Isabella Turnbo.


Both of her parents had escaped enslavement with her father serving in the Union Army of the Civil War while her mother settled in Illinois with nine children. Malone was the tenth of eleven children to born of this union.

The family lived on a farm in Metropolis, Ill until Turnbo’s parents died. Orphaned, Malone went to live with her older sister in Peoria where she developed a love of chemistry.  

Although Malone often missed school because of illness, her interest in hair and chemistry would soon make her a successful young businesswoman. Malone experimented with ingredients that would be less harsh on African-American women’s hair than the heavy oils and soaps that were mainstays in the African-American haircare industry.

The Wonderful Hair Grower

After moving to Lovejoy, Illinois, Malone perfected a line of hair straighteners, oils and other products that promoted hair growth. Naming the products “Wonderful Hair Grower,” Malone sold her product door-to-door.

By 1902, Malone relocated to St.

Louis. Hiring three assistants, she continued to grow her business by selling her products door-to-door and by providing free hair treatments to reluctant women. Within two years Malone’s business had grown so much that she was able to open a salon, advertise in African-American newspapers, and recruit more African-American women to sell her products. She also continued to travel throughout the United States to sell her products.

One of her selling agents, Sarah Breedlove, went on to become Madam C.J. Walker and establish her own haircare line. The women would remain friendly with Walker encouraging Malone to copyright her products.

Using the name Poro, which means physical and spiritual growth, Malone’s business continued to thrive. By 1914, Malone’s business relocated to a five-story facility that included a manufacturing plant, a beauty college, a retail store, and a business conference center.

Poro College provided an estimated 200 people with employment. Its curriculum focused on helping students learn business acumen, personal style and hairdressing techniques. In total, Malone’s business ventures created an estimated 75,000 jobs for women of African descent throughout the world.

The success of Malone’s business continued until she divorced her husband in 1927. Malone’s husband, Aaron, argued that he made several contributions to the business’ success and should be rewarded half of its value. Prominent figures such as Mary McLeod Bethune supported Malone’s busines endeavors during this period. The couple eventually settled with Aaron receiving an estimated $200,000.

Yet lawsuits continued to follow Malone’s business venture. In 1937, for instance, a former employee argued that they were responsible for Poro’s success. Malone sold her St. Louis property to pay for the settlement.

Philanthropy

Despite Malone’s wealth, Malone lived a modest life. She donated her money to local branches of the YMCA, Howard University College of Medicine and the St. Louis Colored Orphan’s Home.

The Orphan’s Home is still present today in St. Louis. The facility was renamed the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center and continues to provide services to the city.

Personal Life

Malone never had children. Her first marriage ended quickly after her husband interfered in her entrepreneurial endeavors. Her second marriage, was to Aaron Eugene Malone in 1914. This marriage also ended in a 1927 divorce.  

Death

Malone died on May 10, 1957 after suffering a stroke at Provident Hospital in Chicago. Her business and other assets were divided among her nieces and nephews.