In the Bronx, the Woodlawn Cemetery’s Conservatory was the perfect setting, last Sunday, a sunny Oct. 26, 2025, for author A’Lelia Bundles’ (great, great granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker) book signing event for her latest book, “Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance.” Woodlawn Cemetery is also where the late, great Madam C.J. Walker rests in peace.
A real page-turner, “Joy Goddess” describes the life of heiress A’Lelia Walker, Madam C.J. Walker’s only daughter, whose Harlem home was a high society hub, where she hosted celebrities, artists, and friends at a multitude of salons and parties.
The book signing was well attended. You remember that Madam C.J Walker was the first self-made Black, female millionaire who built a successful beauty business in the 1920s, with cosmetics and hair products such as curling irons and straightening combs. Someone asked, “Are any of her products available today?” Ms. Bundles explained how chemical hair care products took over the industry, and reported that Madam C.J. Walker’s products are no longer on the market today. There were questions about Madame’s Walker’s country house, the Villa Lewaro mansion, a magnificent property designed in 1916-18 which is still standing beautifully and has been sold, and is now utilized as a private family home. (I recall afternoon tea and mint julep parties given by a former owner of this mansion. It’s a delightful property.)
With interviewer Eric K. Washington, author of “Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal,” Ms. Bundles explored the extraordinary lives of her esteemed relatives. Mr. Washington’s book exposes that Black students often worked for the railroad while working their way through school on their way to becoming doctors and lawyers. During this second installment of Woodlawn’s Legacy Lecture series, there were interesting Harlem Renaissance slides projected as well.
Delicious pastries, coffee, and water were served. Ms. Bundles continued to share her interesting childhood memories about her grandmother A’Lelia Walker’s life. “Although she grew up poor, A’Lelia Walker enjoyed the opera, fashionable clothes, and other high society activities,” said Bundles.
A’Lelia Bundles, an award-winning journalist and former network TV executive and producer for ABC News and NBC News, has also penned “On Her Own Grounds: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker.” She serves on several boards and has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and other stations.
She is also the founder of The Madam Walker Family Archives, the largest collection of Walker photos, letters, ephemera, and memorabilia. Before writing about her family, Bundles recalled “asking for [her] mother’s permission.”