“KENDİ YOLUMU KENDİM ÇİZDİM” 11 * : ABD’NİN İLK AFRİKA KÖKENLİ KADIN MİLYONERİ MADAM CJ WALKER’IN GİRİŞİMCİ KARİYERİNİN İNCELENMESİ

ABD’nin işletme tarihine ekonomik ve sosyolojik bağlamlar da dikkate alınarak bakıldığında,girişimciliğin ve girişimcilerin desteklendiğini söylemek mümkündür. Öte yandan ABD İç Savaşınıngerçekleşmesi, sonrasında siyahi vatandaşların özgürlüklerini kazanmaları, ekonomik yaşam içindeköle olarak çalıştırılmadan özgür bireyler olarak yer alabilmelerinin önünün açılması gibi hususlarülke tarihinde yer alan önemli kırılma noktalarıdır. Ancak siyahi kadınların iş hayatına katılmalarınınyanı sıra girişimcilik faaliyetlerinde bulunmaları hem ırk hem de cinsiyet ayrımcılığı sebebiyle çoğuzaman engellenmiştir. Bununla birlikte atipik özellikler gösteren bazı kadın girişimcilere rastlamak damümkündür. Madam CJ Walker bunlardan biridir. 1905-1919 yılları arasında girişimcilik faaliyetindebulunan Walker, ABD’nin ilk Afrika kökenli kadın milyoneri olarak adlandırılmış ve yönetici, hayırsever,politik aktivist gibi özellikleri bünyesinde barındıran başarılı bir girişimci profili sergilemiştir. Buçalışmanın amacı 20. yüzyılda faaliyet göstermiş bir kadın girişimcinin kariyer gelişimini çeşitlibaşlıklarda ele alıp, sosyolojik ve ekonomik bağlamları da dikkate alarak incelemektir. Bu kapsamdanitel araştırma metodu kullanılarak önemli bir tarihsel bir figür olan Madam CJ Walker’ın girişimcikariyeri W. Gibb Dyer Jr.’ın Girişimci Kariyer Modeli ile incelenmiş ve çeşitli biyografi kitapları, tarihsel ABD’nin işletme tarihine ekonomik ve sosyolojik bağlamlar da dikkate alınarak bakıldığında,girişimciliğin ve girişimcilerin desteklendiğini söylemek mümkündür. Öte yandan ABD İç Savaşınıngerçekleşmesi, sonrasında siyahi vatandaşların özgürlüklerini kazanmaları, ekonomik yaşam içindeköle olarak çalıştırılmadan özgür bireyler olarak yer alabilmelerinin önünün açılması gibi hususlarülke tarihinde yer alan önemli kırılma noktalarıdır. Ancak siyahi kadınların iş hayatına katılmalarınınyanı sıra girişimcilik faaliyetlerinde bulunmaları hem ırk hem de cinsiyet ayrımcılığı sebebiyle çoğuzaman engellenmiştir. Bununla birlikte atipik özellikler gösteren bazı kadın girişimcilere rastlamak damümkündür. Madam CJ Walker bunlardan biridir. 1905-1919 yılları arasında girişimcilik faaliyetindebulunan Walker, ABD’nin ilk Afrika kökenli kadın milyoneri olarak adlandırılmış ve yönetici, hayırsever,politik aktivist gibi özellikleri bünyesinde barındıran başarılı bir girişimci profili sergilemiştir. Buçalışmanın amacı 20. yüzyılda faaliyet göstermiş bir kadın girişimcinin kariyer gelişimini çeşitlibaşlıklarda ele alıp, sosyolojik ve ekonomik bağlamları da dikkate alarak incelemektir. Bu kapsamdanitel araştırma metodu kullanılarak önemli bir tarihsel bir figür olan Madam CJ Walker’ın girişimcikariyeri W. Gibb Dyer Jr.’ın Girişimci Kariyer Modeli ile incelenmiş ve çeşitli biyografi kitapları, tarihsel

“I GOT MY START BY GIVING MYSELF A START”: AN EXAMINATION OF FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN SELFMADE WOMEN MILLIONAIRE MADAM CJ WALKER’S ENTREPRENEURIAL CAREER

Examining economical and sociological conditions of USA in a historical perspective, it is possible to state that entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs have been supported by the society. Civil War, freedom fight of African Americans, the process of gaining citizenships and working as free people in working life were breaking points in the history of USA. On the other hand, it was not easy for most African American women to be a part of that working life as well as founding their own businesses due to gender and racial discriminations, mostly considered as barriers for those women. Nonetheless, some atypical women entrepreneurs can be mentioned when considering business history of USA. Madam CJ Walker, who had been an active entrepreneur between 1905 and 1919, was one of them. She was considered as first African-American woman millionaire and defined with many titles such as successful manager, philanthropist, political activist. In this study, Madam CJ Walker’s entrepreneurial career is examined by using Entrepreneurial Career Model developed by W. Gibb Dyer Jr in 1995 (including career choice, socialization, orientation and progression dimensions). Qualitative research method is adopted collecting data from various biography books, non-fictional books and journal articles. Additionally, results showed that there are some other entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial feautures outside of model dimensions which are explained in the related section of this study.

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