(BlackDoctor.org) -- Madam C.J. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1867 in Delta, Louisiana. She was the first member of her family born free. As a child, Walker picked cotton on a plantation until she became an orphan at the age seven. At age 14, she married a man named Moses McWilliams, but was widowed at age 20. After the death of her husband she moved to join her four brothers in St. Louis. While in St. Louis, Walker worked as a laundress for as little as a dollar and a half a day.

After becoming temporarily bald – due to severe scalp disease  – Walker became extremely interested in hair tonics. In 1905, Walker moved to Denver, Colorado, to work as a hair tonic sales agent for Annie Malone, another black woman entrepreneur. While there, she married Charles Joseph Walker, a St. Louis newspaperman, changed her name from Sarah Breedlove to Madam C.J. Walker, and founded the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company to sell hair care products and cosmetics.

In 1910, Walker moved her growing manufacturing operations to a new industrial complex in Indianapolis, and by 1917, it was the largest business in the United States owned by a black person. She became the first female, black or white, self-accomplished millionaire.

Walker used her personal wealth as a means to help promote and expand economic opportunities for other African Americans. In 1919, her $5,000 pledge to the NAACP's anti-lynching campaign was the largest gift the organization had received at that time. And upon her death on May 25, 1919, at age 52, she left two-thirds of her estate to educational institutions and charities including the NAACP, the Tuskegee Institute and Bethune-Cookman College.

Madam C.J. Walker died prematurely due to kidney failure that was caused by a lingering bout with hypertension. Unfortunately, many African Americans are still dying from kidney disease today and at alarming rates.

What is Kidney Disease?

Kidney disease results from damage to the nephrons, the tiny structures inside your kidneys that filter blood.

The damage usually occurs very gradually over years. It happens in both kidneys. There aren't any obvious symptoms, so you don't know its happening.

Kidney Disease in African Americans

• African Americans are four times more likely to develop kidney failure than Caucasians.

• African Americans make up 12 percent of the population but account for 30 percent of people with kidney failure.

• Diabetes and high blood pressure account for about 70 percent of kidney failure in African Americans.

• African American males ages 22 - 44 are 20 times more likely to develop kidney failure due to high blood pressure than Caucasian males in the same age group.

• Forty-five percent of African American men with kidney failure received late referrals to nephrologists. In some cases people were not aware they had a problem until they needed dialysis.

Common Causes of Kidney Disease

• Diabetes: In diabetes, the body doesn't use glucose (sugar) very well. The glucose stays in your blood and acts like a poison. If you have diabetes, you can prevent kidney disease by controlling your blood sugar levels.

• High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure can damage the small blood vessels in your kidneys. When this happens your kidneys cannot filter wastes from your blood very well. If you have high blood pressure (hypertension) be sure to take any medicines your doctor prescribes.

• Heredity: Some kidney diseases result from hereditary factors, and can run in families. If your family has a history of any kind of kidney problems, you may be at risk for kidney disease and should talk to your doctor.

How to Prevent Kidney Disease

1. Have your blood pressure checked regularly. It is very important to have normal blood pressure if you want to prevent kidney disease. Having regular blood pressure will also help prevent other diseases and conditions.

2. Take steps to control your blood pressure. The easiest way to maintain a normal blood pressure is by restricting the amount of salt and sodium-filled foods that you consume. Some salt is required to keep your body functioning, so don't cut it out of your diet entirely. Check with a dietitian to create a diet that lets you eat foods you love.

3. Tell your doctor if your family has a history of high blood pressure or kidney disease. Both of these conditions can be hereditary. Your doctor may prescribe ACE inhibitor medication to help control your blood pressure.

4. Stay alert for changes in your urine. If you have cloudy, smelly or foamy urine or if it hurts when you urinate, see a doctor. These symptoms are signs of urinary tract problems. If left untreated, these problems could lead to the development of kidney disease later in life.

5. Watch for symptoms of anemia. If you are constantly tired, bruise easily or suffer from dizziness you might be anemic. This condition can contribute to kidney disease if it is not properly treated or becomes a chronic problem.

Now that you have the scoop on kidney disease, let’s use this knowledge to empower ourselves to make this Black History Month the healthiest month of the year!

By Candace Hall, BDO Staff Writer