Sara Spencer Washington and the Making of a Beauty Empire

Black History Month 2025

Sara Spencer Washington was the founder of Apex, one of the most popular afro hair care brands in the USA in the 1930s. She used the wealth and influence she gained to give back to her African American community, strengthen the status of African American women and change the view of Black culture for good.  

It all started with a small beauty salon that Sara Spencer Washington opened in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1911. In 1919 she then founded the „Apex News and Hair Company“.  

At that time, the trend of wearing afro hair curled and set in waves was on the rise again.  

Sara's business was built on teaching people how to care for afro hair and developing matching hair care products. Her company grew into a successful beauty empire with 70 hair products, training centres and offices in 11 US cities.  

Sara Spencer Washington was so successful that she became a millionaire. She used this money to support Black people in America. Among other things, she donated to Black civil rights movements, pushed individual restaurants to serve Black customers, and founded a spa and the Apex Golf Course, where everyone, regardless of skin colour or background, could play golf and relax.  

Her overarching goal was to empower Black people in America by disproving the narrative that Black people are less beautiful than white people, and by giving Black people access to politics and business.  

At a time when there weren't many opportunities for African Americans, she supported her community and had a positive impact on the lives of many Black people. Besides her generous donations, she gave many Black people jobs in her salons, offices and factories. Apex News and Hair Company also trained women to become certified afro hair specialists so they could open their own salons and become financially independent.  

Former employee Robert Hayes remembers his time as an Apex sales agent and Sara Spencer Washington's special influence like this:

„It was a vision and a dream to do something to break out of this prison that Black women were simply locked in. And they had to break out. And they did break out. And not only that, they did something for all of us. They gave us the spirit of believing that there are possibilities.“

Our main source  for this article was the book „The Story of Afro Hair“ by K.N. Chimbiri. We can wholeheartedly recommend it. With beautiful illustrations, it covers 5000 years of afro hair history, trends and styles.  

Source: https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/new_jersey/The-woman-in-fur-who-integrated-Capt-Starns-created-a-black-womans-hair-care-company-became-one-of-Atlantic-Citys-original-millionaires.html