Madam C.J. Walker, an early 20th-century black woman who built a hair company

then says: "began offering skin-lightening and hair-straightening products to compete with white companies that marketed these items to black consumers" "Walker rebuffed a reporter in response to an article that derisively referred to her as the “de-kink queen.” "

I couldn't figure out if the article was saying Walker was a black woman who supported natural hair for black women (which I imagine would be a good thing for black women, and good for the planet as well given the toxic chemicals in hair straighteners, and general waste of resources on hair) or if the article is saying she just built a hair company and provided whatever the masses wanted even if it was damaging to their own self-image and communities?

That implies that it was a zero sum game. This is far from correct. Standard Oil, for example, drove the price of kerosene down 70%, which was of considerable benefit to the public.