A'Lelia Walker, the only daughter of the first Black beauty care millionaire Madame CJ Walker, is credited with being a great patron of the artistic renaissance that would put Harlem on the map. Her contributions allowed Black artists to gain access and exposure to a white artistic arena that had previously turned a deaf ear to our culture's many contributions. Her distinctions also included being an astute businesswoman, hostess of lavish parties, and a member of the Harlem Renaissance's Lesbian and Gay society.

Walker, who was born in 1885, became a partner in her mother's business in 1908. Over the course of the next five years she helped her mother start Lelia College and oversaw the operation of the Pittsburgh factory. In 1913, she decided to move to Harlem. Ever the shrew businesswoman, she convinced her mother to open a showroom, another training center, and the Walker Hair Parlor in her newfound home, the Big Apple.

As the 'hostess with the mostess', she was the toast of the town among Harlem's fledgling and established artists. At six feet fall, Walker was a buxom beauty with a queenly manner. She often crowned her height with a jeweled turban and carried riding crop.

Undaunted by three marriages, all short lived and one involving a man with who she never lived, she pursued her lifestyle of wine, women, and song with zest and vigor. It is believed that her marriages were "fronts" with gay men; a compromise between her affectional life, which involved women, and the image she was expected to perpetuate as a wealth Harlem sophisticate.

Walker's Villa Lewaro estate was the site of a variety of parties. Her more formal gatherings brought together an eclectic, multi-racial, multi-national mix of artists, writers, musicians, intellectuals, nobility, and businessmen. At her parties Black artists could freely mingle with white agents, critics, editors, and publishers - individuals that the artists realized could help their careers. Notables such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen were often Walker's guests.

During her short life in Harlem, Walker was romantically linked with two women: Mayme White and Edna Thomas. Described as a "handsome woman", Mayme White lived with Walker for a number of years. After their romantic involvement ended, they maintained a close relationship, which resulted in White managing Walker's nightclub, the Dark Tower.

Walker's next relationship was with Edna Thomas, a former Vaudeville performer. Thomas was a fairly successful actress who appeared in several plays as well as the 1951 version of A Streetcar Named Desire. Like Walker, her patronage of the arts was well known and her home was frequented by actors and playwrights for political and artistic discussions.

Walker died while attending a small lavish affair. In 1931, at the age of 46, Walker suffered a stroke and died a few hours later. She was survived by an adopted daughter, Mae Walker.

Walker's influence on the Harlem Renaissance is notable due to the invisibility and support she provided to Black artists when many were hesitant to listen.