At 97, George E. Johnson remains sharp and proud of his remarkable journey. Known as the man who put Black hair care on the map, Johnson’s story is one of perseverance, innovation, and deep family values.
Born in Mississippi, Johnson moved to Chicago at age two with his mother in 1929. “I thank God for her every day, because she got me out of Mississippi,” he said. This early move set the stage for a lifetime of determination.
In the late 1950s, Johnson worked as a chemist at Fuller Products, the largest Black-owned cosmetics company at the time. One day, he met barber Orville Nelson, who had developed a hair straightening product for Black hair. Fuller Products turned Nelson away, fearing competition.
Johnson offered to help. He kept Nelson’s card and visited his barbershop two months later. “I was shocked,” Johnson recalled. “The shop was so busy—no place to sit or stand. They were straightening hair to get it straight enough for finger waves.”
At the time, many Black people straightened their thick, curly hair to fit into white culture and improve job prospects. Johnson partnered with Nelson to improve the product, revolutionizing Black men’s hair care.
Starting the business was not easy. Johnson borrowed $250, having to lie that he needed it for a vacation. He raised another $250 from friends. “When I wrote the last check, I had one dollar in the bank,” he said. The $500 was enough to make the first batch of product.
Though Nelson later sold his own version without Johnson’s consent, Johnson’s products flourished. Ultra Wave and Ultra Sheen became popular. When the Black pride movement grew, Johnson created Afro Sheen to celebrate natural hair.
By 1971, Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) controlled 80% of the Black hair care market and became the first Black company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. That year, Johnson also sponsored “Soul Train,” the iconic dance show.
Johnson’s business was ahead of its time. By 1960, he offered employees profit sharing, full healthcare, onsite nursing, family leave, and college tuition reimbursement.
His building on 85th and Lafayette in Chicago symbolized Black pride. “I wanted to give people something to shoot for,” Johnson said. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited, he famously called it “Black power,” a moment Johnson never forgot.
Though his life has been iconic, Johnson only recently shared his story in his memoir, Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized an Industry with the Golden Rule. His wife, art consultant Madelyn Rabb, helped him complete the book.
Johnson has earned honorary doctorates and numerous honors and counts celebrities, civil rights leaders, and presidents among his friends. Yet, he credits his success to one guiding principle.
“The Golden Rule says, ‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you,’” he said. “That is what I tried to do. And that is what I think our success came from.”
