ST. LOUIS — Two women who became self-made female millionaires started their journeys in St. Louis.
Which one became the first millionaire is still being debated today. And the debate now involves the top streaming service in the world.
But did Netflix and filmmakers get the story wrong?
Netflix Series "Self Made" puts early 20th century St. Louis in the limelight, focusing on two trailblazing haircare entrepreneurs: Madam C.J. Walker and Annie Malone.
Self Made calls Walker, who is played by Octavia Spencer, the first female self-made millionaire, a debate we'll get to later. In the miniseries, Annie Malone is referred to as Addie Monroe. And she's portrayed as a villain but that doesn't sit well with those who know the life story of this St. Louis Icon.
"I was taken aback by everything," said Sasha Turnbo, Annie Malone's great-great niece. "I would love for people to tell the accuracy in history."
Many believe "Self Made" misinformed and missed an opportunity by making it seem Walker and Malone's lives revolved around their conflict as rival businesswomen.
"The history of the struggle Black people have had in this country is tough enough without inventing anything," said Linda Nance of the Annie Malone Historical Society.
"Self Made" was inspired by the biography written by Walker's great-great-granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles.
"When the head writer told me she was going to focus on conflict between Walker and Annie Malone, I raised objections," Bundles said.
Who was the real Annie Malone? She created hair products for Black women and made St. Louis her home for 30 years. A children's home still bears her name.
"Many of the top companies to this day have used her blueprint," Turnbo said.
At the turn of the century, Malone was selling her Wonderful Hair Grower door to door and training others, including Walker, to do the same. She gave incentives like bonds, watches and diamonds.
"She had a way of doing business that preceded Avon or Mary Kay in her understanding that people need to be connected in lots of different ways," Nance said.
Malone's beauty school Poro College opened its doors in the Ville neighborhood of North St. Louis in 1918. Her wealth grew and so did her generosity. The Gateway City celebrates her legacy every year with the Annie Malone Parade.
"Annie Malone was very philanthropic, spiritual, a very poised woman," Turnbo said.
Back to that debate over which woman, Walker or Malone, became a self-made millionaire first. It depends on who you ask and what book you read. One of the reasons it's still being talked about is because many of Malone's financial records haven't been found while Walker's records still exist.
"On the millionaire debate, I really don't like to get into that debate because it's not that important to me," Bundles said. "But what I can say is that we can document that Madam C.J. Walker was a millionaire when she died in 1919."
But people are still digging for Malone's records, like Lindenwood University professor Chajuana Trawick who spent more than a decade researching Malone and wrote a dissertation on her life story.
"That's another reason for the next generation, to keep researching, we need to keep researching as well to get that information," Trawick said. "Again, they were both amazing women but for me, I want to know for myself."
While it seems like we haven't heard the last of that debate, we know these things for sure. Malone and Walker are both remarkable and powerful women who faced difficult odds. They rose above America's complicated racial history to become two of the most successful Black women in history.
Malone's niece plans on writing a book this year and releasing a cosmetics line in Malone’s honor. There's also works for a museum here in St. Louis from the Annie Malone Historical Society.
Netflix didn't respond to our request for comment.