Planet Money

How Black hair care grew Black power

January 7, 2026

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  • The Johnson Products Company, founded by George and Joan Johnson, leveraged an intimate understanding of Black consumer needs to build a multi-billion dollar Black haircare industry, funding the Civil Rights Movement and cultural touchstones like *Soul Train*. 
  • The company's success, marked by becoming the first Black-owned company on the American Stock Exchange in 1971, provided a visible symbol of Black prosperity and power, exemplified by their Chicago headquarters. 
  • The Johnsons' eventual loss of control and the sale of Johnson Products Company to a white-owned firm highlights the difficulty Black entrepreneurs face in retaining ownership against larger, mainstream competitors, despite pioneering the market segment. 

Segments

Granddaughter’s Discovery of Legacy
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(00:00:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Olivia Joan Golly documents her grandmother’s couture wardrobe, revealing hidden Black wealth.
  • Summary: Olivia Joan Golly, a young Black photographer, shares TikToks featuring her grandmother’s extensive collection of high-end vintage couture, including Chanel and Givenchy. This collection challenges the perception that Black individuals could not afford such designer pieces during that era. Her grandmother is identified as Joan Betty Henderson Johnson, wife of George E. Johnson.
Founding of Johnson Products
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(00:07:38)
  • Key Takeaway: George Johnson developed a stable hair straightener by chemically emulsifying a volatile barber’s concoction.
  • Summary: George Johnson, working in cosmetics manufacturing, observed the dangerous, unstable nature of a barber’s hair straightening mixture containing lye, egg, and potato. After nine months of experimentation in his boss’s lab, he created a shelf-stable, emulsified product called Ultra Wave Hair Culture in 1954 with barber Orville Nelson. When George and Joan took over, Joan established a reputation for toughness while collecting debts from barbers.
Shift to Afro Sheen and Civil Rights
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(00:14:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The rise of the Afro hairstyle prompted Johnson Products to pivot from straighteners to the Afro Sheen moisturizer, aligning with the Black Power movement.
  • Summary: As the Civil Rights Movement rejected assimilationist beauty standards, Johnson Products launched Afro Sheen for natural hair. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited the headquarters in 1966, calling the facility ‘Black power’ when the company could not make payroll. Independence Bank, co-founded by George Johnson, subsequently loaned King’s organization over $100,000.
Sponsorship of Soul Train
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(00:16:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Johnson Products financed Soul Train’s transition to a national color program in exchange for exclusive advertising.
  • Summary: George Johnson funded the creation of a 30-minute color pilot for Soul Train after seeing the local black-and-white version and finding it lacking. Johnson Products became the show’s sponsor, leading to massive sales growth, increasing from $11.2 million in 1971 to $39 million by 1975. This success led to the company becoming the first Black-owned firm listed on the American Stock Exchange in 1971.
Impact of Going Public
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(00:20:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Public listing provided wealth but resulted in loss of control and inadvertently created a blueprint for white competitors.
  • Summary: After going public, George Johnson immediately regretted the loss of control as the board focused on shareholders rather than the core Black consumer base. The company’s detailed public reporting of profit margins revealed the profitability of the Black haircare market to white competitors like Revlon. This transparency effectively provided a blueprint for larger companies to enter and compete in the market George had established.
The Fall of Johnson Products
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(00:24:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Failure to quickly adopt the Jheri Curl trend, coupled with increased competition and regulatory scrutiny, led to the company’s decline.
  • Summary: Johnson Products was too slow to market a Jheri Curl product when the style exploded in popularity, losing customers to a competing Black-owned company that explicitly marketed its Black ownership. The company experienced its first losses, and subsequent marriage troubles between George and Joan complicated leadership. Joan eventually sold Johnson Products to a white-owned pharmaceutical company in 1993 for $70 million.
Enduring Legacy and Current Market
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(00:26:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite the company’s sale, the Johnsons are proud of paving the way, though the granddaughter laments the current market dominance by white-owned brands.
  • Summary: George Johnson expressed pride in opening doors for subsequent Black entrepreneurs, especially women now leading many haircare companies. However, Olivia Joan notes that the current global Black haircare market, worth about $4 billion, is predominantly owned by white individuals. She still uses original Johnson Products like Blue Grease, viewing the original factory as a symbol of Black prosperity and optimism.