St. Ferdinand and Billups Avenues

Annie Malone was born in Illinois and orphaned shortly after. She was raised by her older sister in Peoria, Illinois. Malone fell in love with cosmetology and made it her life mission to make a living doing hair. After seeing the damage African American women by using animal by products on their hair she created her own hair products in her home in Brooklyn, Illinois. After hearing there would be a World's Fair in nearby St. Louis she decided to come here in 1902 to sell her products at the fair. However, the fair was delayed so she traveled through the South selling her products. Upon returning to St. Louis, she took her newfound sales skills to the streets and to the local black press. By 1924, newspapers were reporting that she had become the First Black Female Millionaire, worth over $14 million.

Poro College, founded by Annie Turnbo Malone in 1917, was a groundbreaking establishment in St. Louis's Ville neighborhood. Designed as a comprehensive complex, it housed Malone's beauty product manufacturing, a cosmetology school, and facilities for civic, religious, and social events. The college provided African American women with education in cosmetology, sales, and personal development, fostering economic independence and self-confidence. At its peak, Poro College employed nearly 200 people locally and had a network of 75,000 agents worldwide. The institution also hosted national organizations and events, reinforcing its status as a central hub for the African American community during segregation. Although the original building no longer stands, Poro College's legacy endures as a testament to African American entrepreneurship and empowerment.