Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized an Industry with the Golden Rule, from Soul Train to Wall Street - Hardcover

Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized an Industry with the Golden Rule, from Soul Train to Wall Street - Hardcover

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by George E. Johnson (Author), Hilary Beard (With)

The inspiring and resilient story of George E. Johnson, creator of the iconic Afro Sheen and the first Black-owned company to be traded on Wall Street

You might already be familiar with Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen, but have you heard of the man behind the company that produced these products? In Afro Sheen, George Ellis Johnson, the acclaimed self-made businessman, reveals his inspiring and captivating rise from humble beginnings to the top of the haircare industry.

At just twenty-seven years old, Johnson created the Johnson Products Company. JPC was the first Black-owned company to trade on a major stock exchange, became the financial sponsor of Soul Train, and was once considered the largest Black-owned manufacturing company in the world. At the height of its success, JPC was worth $37 million (over $225 million today).

In this coming-of-age story, Johnson uses the life skills and strong character built from working odd jobs as a teenager and practicing the Golden Rule to create a business that both nurtures and advances the Black community. Without a formal education, he filled a gap in the Black haircare industry and created a high-quality formula for straightening hair and the iconic Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen products that supported Black people in expressing their authentic beauty. For decades, Johnson has been an inspiration to Black entrepreneurs, setting an example of Black wealth and providing a safe space for Black people to work.

Afro Sheen is a timely, impassioned look at both an industry and cultural moment. Johnson's impact is finally on full display, as he brilliantly highlights how having perseverance and a daring vision can create both change and a lasting legacy.

Author Biography

George Ellis Johnson is the founder of the Johnson Products Company, the maker of Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen, the first Black-owned company to trade on a major stock exchange, the financial sponsor of Soul Train, and once likely the largest Black-owned manufacturing company in the world. Known for his generosity around Chicago and nationally, Johnson has received numerous honors for the philanthropic contributions of the George E. Johnson Foundation and the George E. Johnson Educational Fund, which awarded more than 1000 college scholarships. In 1964, he co-founded Independence Bank, the first Black-owned financial institution to operate in Chicago in more than 30 years after the Great Depression, and became its chairman. He served on the boards of the Chicago Urban League, Commonwealth Edison, Lyric Opera of Chicago, MetLife, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University, and Operation PUSH. The recipient of nine honorary doctorate degrees, including several from HBCUs, Johnson received the Harvard Medal, Stanford Graduate School of Business's Marketing Man of the Year recognition, and Chicago Mayor Harold Washington's Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, the Wall Street Journal included him in its Special Report "10 Who Made a Difference: The minds that transformed entrepreneurship in the 20th century."

Hilary Beard has been a book collaboration specialist helping leaders, visionaries, creatives and gamechangers amplify their voice to empower humanity, for more than 20 years. The author of 20 books and published by each of the Big Five publishers, Hilary's clients have included Venus and Serena Williams, Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance, NASA's Katherine Johnson, and Johnson Products' George E. Johnson. She will also consult creatively on a Hollywood A-list actor's rendition of Mr. Johnson's story. Well versed in African American health, life, history and culture, Hilary has won two NAACP Image Awards--for Health First: The Black Woman's Wellness Guide and Promises Kept: Raising Black Boys to Succeed in School and in Life. Her award-winning young adult books include The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson, and We're in This Together by political organizer Linda Sarsour. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Hilary graduated from Princeton University and lives in Philadelphia.


Number of Pages: 320
Dimensions: 1.2 x 9.3 x 6.3 IN
Publication Date: February 04, 2025
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by George E. Johnson (Author), Hilary Beard (With)

The inspiring and resilient story of George E. Johnson, creator of the iconic Afro Sheen and the first Black-owned company to be traded on Wall Street

You might already be familiar with Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen, but have you heard of the man behind the company that produced these products? In Afro Sheen, George Ellis Johnson, the acclaimed self-made businessman, reveals his inspiring and captivating rise from humble beginnings to the top of the haircare industry.

At just twenty-seven years old, Johnson created the Johnson Products Company. JPC was the first Black-owned company to trade on a major stock exchange, became the financial sponsor of Soul Train, and was once considered the largest Black-owned manufacturing company in the world. At the height of its success, JPC was worth $37 million (over $225 million today).

In this coming-of-age story, Johnson uses the life skills and strong character built from working odd jobs as a teenager and practicing the Golden Rule to create a business that both nurtures and advances the Black community. Without a formal education, he filled a gap in the Black haircare industry and created a high-quality formula for straightening hair and the iconic Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen products that supported Black people in expressing their authentic beauty. For decades, Johnson has been an inspiration to Black entrepreneurs, setting an example of Black wealth and providing a safe space for Black people to work.

Afro Sheen is a timely, impassioned look at both an industry and cultural moment. Johnson's impact is finally on full display, as he brilliantly highlights how having perseverance and a daring vision can create both change and a lasting legacy.

Author Biography

George Ellis Johnson is the founder of the Johnson Products Company, the maker of Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen, the first Black-owned company to trade on a major stock exchange, the financial sponsor of Soul Train, and once likely the largest Black-owned manufacturing company in the world. Known for his generosity around Chicago and nationally, Johnson has received numerous honors for the philanthropic contributions of the George E. Johnson Foundation and the George E. Johnson Educational Fund, which awarded more than 1000 college scholarships. In 1964, he co-founded Independence Bank, the first Black-owned financial institution to operate in Chicago in more than 30 years after the Great Depression, and became its chairman. He served on the boards of the Chicago Urban League, Commonwealth Edison, Lyric Opera of Chicago, MetLife, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University, and Operation PUSH. The recipient of nine honorary doctorate degrees, including several from HBCUs, Johnson received the Harvard Medal, Stanford Graduate School of Business's Marketing Man of the Year recognition, and Chicago Mayor Harold Washington's Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, the Wall Street Journal included him in its Special Report "10 Who Made a Difference: The minds that transformed entrepreneurship in the 20th century."

Hilary Beard has been a book collaboration specialist helping leaders, visionaries, creatives and gamechangers amplify their voice to empower humanity, for more than 20 years. The author of 20 books and published by each of the Big Five publishers, Hilary's clients have included Venus and Serena Williams, Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance, NASA's Katherine Johnson, and Johnson Products' George E. Johnson. She will also consult creatively on a Hollywood A-list actor's rendition of Mr. Johnson's story. Well versed in African American health, life, history and culture, Hilary has won two NAACP Image Awards--for Health First: The Black Woman's Wellness Guide and Promises Kept: Raising Black Boys to Succeed in School and in Life. Her award-winning young adult books include The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson, and We're in This Together by political organizer Linda Sarsour. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Hilary graduated from Princeton University and lives in Philadelphia.


Number of Pages: 320
Dimensions: 1.2 x 9.3 x 6.3 IN
Publication Date: February 04, 2025

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We deliver your parcel within 2–3 working days. As soon as your package has left our warehouse, you will receive a confirmation by email. This confirmation contains a tracking number that you can use to find out where your package is.

Returns
We offer free returns within 30 days. All you have to do is fill out the return slip that you received in your package and stick the prepaid label on the package.Please note that it can take 2 weeks for us to process your return. We will do our best to complete this process as soon as possible.

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Warranty

We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.

If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.

This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).

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