George Johnson Built Black Excellence
George E. Johnson Sr. was more than a businessman; he was a visionary who understood the power of creating products specifically for Black people at a time when much of corporate America ignored them. As the founder of Johnson Products Company, Johnson helped transform the Black hair care industry while building one of the most significant Black-owned businesses of the twentieth century.
Born in Mississippi in 1927, Johnson moved to Chicago with his family as a young child during the era of the Great Migration. His early life was shaped by hard work, limited resources, and the racial realities facing Black Americans. Yet those circumstances did not prevent him from imagining a larger future for himself and his community.
Johnson entered the beauty industry while working for Fuller Products, the pioneering Black-owned company founded by S.B. Fuller. There, Johnson learned valuable lessons about manufacturing, sales, and entrepreneurship. He also saw firsthand the enormous buying power of Black consumers and the need for companies willing to respect and serve them.
In 1954, George and his wife, Joan Johnson, founded Johnson Products Company in Chicago. Johnson assembled approximately $500 in startup capital, including a $250 loan from a friend and another $250 bank loan. From those modest beginnings, the couple began building a company that would eventually become a major force in American business.
The company’s early products included Ultra Wave, developed for Black men’s hair. Johnson Products later introduced Ultra Sheen and eventually Afro Sheen, a brand that became deeply connected to the natural hair movement. These were not simply beauty products; they became part of a changing Black cultural identity.
Afro Sheen arrived as the “Black Is Beautiful” movement encouraged African Americans to embrace their natural features, skin, and hair. The Afro became a symbol of pride and self-determination. Johnson understood the cultural shift and created products that supported Black people in wearing their hair naturally and proudly.
Johnson Products also became closely connected to Soul Train, the groundbreaking television program created by Don Cornelius. The company’s sponsorship helped support the program during its rise, while Afro Sheen commercials reached millions of Black viewers. The relationship between Johnson Products and Soul Train represented a powerful combination of Black business, Black music, and Black media.
One of Johnson’s greatest achievements came when Johnson Products became the first Black-owned company listed on the American Stock Exchange. The accomplishment shattered a historic barrier on Wall Street and demonstrated that a company built around the needs of Black consumers could compete at the highest levels of American business.
At its height, Johnson Products was one of the nation’s leading Black-owned manufacturing companies. Its annual sales grew from approximately $4 million in 1967 to $40 million in 1976, and the company employed hundreds of people in Chicago. Johnson was not merely selling hair products; he was creating jobs and helping build Black economic power.
Johnson’s influence extended beyond his own company. He supported Black institutions, entrepreneurship, education, and economic development. He helped establish Independence Bank and, through his educational efforts, supported more than 1,000 college scholarships. His philosophy was deeply connected to the Golden Rule—the belief that treating people fairly and helping others could also create lasting success.
The story of George E. Johnson is especially important because he built his company during an era when Black entrepreneurs faced enormous obstacles in banking, distribution, advertising, and corporate America. He recognized a market that others ignored and understood something even more important: Black consumers deserved products created with their needs, culture, and dignity in mind.
George E. Johnson Sr., who died in Chicago on July 6, 2026, at the age of 99, leaves behind a remarkable legacy. From Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen to Soul Train and Wall Street, his life tells a larger story about Black vision, Black entrepreneurship, and Black economic possibility. George Johnson did not simply build a hair care company—he helped build an institution that told generations of Black Americans that their beauty, their culture, and their business mattered.
