Johnson, George E.
1927-2026 · Contribution: 1954
Founder of Johnson Products Company and creator of the Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen Black hair-care lines; built the first Black-owned company listed on the American Stock Exchange (1971)
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Impact on the world
Founded Johnson Products Company in Chicago in 1954, pioneering hair-care products formulated specifically for Black consumers (Ultra Wave, Ultra Sheen, Afro Sheen, Classy Curl). The company captured a dominant share of the Black hair-care market, in 1971 became the first Black-owned business traded on the American Stock Exchange, and served as the exclusive national sponsor of 'Soul Train,' helping it become the first nationally syndicated Black television program.
Life & background
Born June 16, 1927, in a three-room sharecropper's shack in Richton, Mississippi, Johnson moved to Chicago as a young child. After working as a production chemist for cosmetics entrepreneur S.B. Fuller, he founded Johnson Products in 1954 with his wife Joan and a $250 loan. He received Harvard University's W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2025 and published the memoir 'Afro Sheen' at age 97. He died July 6, 2026, at age 99.
Sources
- The HistoryMakers; BlackPast.org; Chicago Sun-Times
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