July 6, 2026
Johnson died of pure causes at his downtown Chicago condominium, in response to his son, John Edward Johnson, who confirmed his father’s loss of life
George E. Johnson, whose Johnson Merchandise Co. turned the first Black-owned firm listed on the American Inventory Trade and helped rework the Black hair care business, died July 6 in Chicago. He was 99, the Chicago Solar-Instances experiences.
George died of pure causes at his downtown Chicago condominium, in response to his son John Edward Johnson, who confirmed his father’s loss of life to the outlet.
“I feel his legacy as a businessman and philanthropist speaks for itself,” John mentioned.
George based Johnson Merchandise in 1954 after working for the Black-owned cosmetics firm S.B. Fuller. The Chicago-based firm developed hair care merchandise particularly for Black shoppers, together with Extremely Sheen, Elegant Curl, Curly Perm, and Afro Sheen.
In 1971, Johnson Merchandise turned the primary Black-owned enterprise to commerce on the American Inventory Trade, marking a milestone for Black entrepreneurship in the US.
The corporate additionally turned recognized for pioneering advertising and marketing methods aimed toward Black shoppers. It was the primary Black-owned firm to sponsor the nationally syndicated tv program Soul Prepare, serving to increase each the model’s nationwide visibility and the present’s cultural attain.
Born in a sharecropper’s shack in Richton, Mississippi, George moved to Chicago along with his mom in 1929. He labored a collection of jobs as a toddler earlier than leaving highschool to help his household. At age 17, he joined S.B. Fuller, the place his expertise in gross sales and product improvement laid the muse for launching his personal firm a decade later.
George remained lively in enterprise and philanthropy all through his life, supporting instructional initiatives and civic organizations whereas mentoring generations of entrepreneurs. In 2025, he revealed his memoir, Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized an Business with the Golden Rule, from Soul Prepare to Wall Road, chronicling the corporate’s rise and his philosophy of management and repair.
Reflecting on the rules that formed his profession, the enterprise pioneer mentioned in a 2025 interview, “While you assist individuals, individuals will show you how to. And in case you serve them effectively, they’re going to make your online business profitable.”
George’s legacy endures by way of the obstacles he broke in American enterprise, his affect on the Black magnificence business, and the alternatives he created for future generations of Black entrepreneurs.
