Black hair care entrepreneur George E. Johnson Sr. dies at 99
George E. Johnson Sr., founder of Johnson Products Company and the first Black-owned firm listed on the American Stock Exchange, died at his Chicago home at age 99.
George E. Johnson Sr., the founder of Johnson Products Company, died at his Chicago home on Monday at the age of 99, his family confirmed. Johnson launched the company in 1954 on Chicago’s South Side with his late wife, Joan, using a $250 loan. The firm produced hair-care lines such as Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen, which became popular among Black consumers and were later used as a national sponsor of the television program Soul Train. In 1971, Johnson Products became the first Black-owned business listed on the American Stock Exchange.
Johnson, born in 1927 in Richton, Mississippi, moved to Chicago as a child and worked various jobs to support his family. He was survived by his second wife, Madeline Murphy Rabb, as well as his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"George was a visionary business leader who built a haircare empire, broke barriers on Wall Street, and helped fuel the fight for civil rights," his family said.
"Those early experiences shaped the values that guided him throughout his life: humility, determination, personal responsibility, and the golden rule: treating everyone the way he wished to be treated, with dignity and respect," the family added.
