>> For many black people.

>> Afro Sheen is a household name after businessman George Johnson created the products in 1954, he continued breaking racial barriers to become one of the most successful black entrepreneurs in the country by the late 1960's.

He's now telling the story of how he built his business from scratch.

In a new book called Afro Sheen.

How revolutionize an industry with the Golden Rule from soul train to Wall Street.

And joining us now are the books Co authors.

We are honored to have George Johnson, founder of Johnson products company in studio along with writer Hilary Beard.

Thanks to you both for joining us.

And congrats on the book.

Mr. Johnson, I want to start with you first.

What made you want to write this book now?

You sure you want to know.

I I am sure.

Okay.

I'm never intended write a book.

>> I didn't like talking about myself.

And every time I started talking about myself to my grandkids, tears were just flow.

So don't.

I decided that I wasn't going to write a book.

Friends, Ask me and people who knew me ask me for 30 years.

What am I going to tell my And now we told them I'm not going to do it without don't like talking about myself.

However.

November, 21st Sunday morning 2021. sitting in my family room.

And all of a my room concluded.

Got warm.

I tried to get up out of my chair.

I couldn't get up out of my chair.

And I clearly heard 5 words.

You tell your story.

And I believe it was the Lord telling me that I have to tell my story.

It scared me.

It scared me to death.

I immediately change my mind 180 degrees and decided to look for professional writer and we know the rest is history because we know that that clearly led you to Hillary Beard.

But I want to back up into some of that story a little bit because imagine it was.

>> Probably an emotional process for you if the tears were flowing when trying to express this to your kids.

But you became a pioneer in the black here here industry at a time when, of course, blacks are still facing all sorts of obstacles in this country with segregation.

Among them, chief, among them, what led you to create those products at the time.

>> I got on the elevator on the 5th floor at for-profit company where I work.

And that was stop on the 3rd floor.

Jonah gets on well dressed and look at him and learn it out of my mouth without thinking.

I said what the is wrong with you?

And he told me that he came to pull up route because it was a black company and the Heat needed some help.

And he asked Mr. Fuller to make him a better product.

have been trouble with the product using and his barbershop.

You.

His name was Obama Nelson and he was owner of the House of Nelson Mr. Fuller totaling that he was not interested in Baba business.

Didn't have any time to be involved with that.

He had too much of his own things going.

And so I said to him, I don't know what you're talking about.

But I work in the lab if you if you have a card, give me a card and not come by and see if I can do something for you show.

I told him I helping.

And that was the beginning of junction.

Proud Okay.

>> I'm Hilary.

You helped chronicle nearly, you a century of history.

That is Mister Johnson's life.

What drew you to this project and what was it like?

>> Well, I received a call out of no nowhere, which I also viewed as a gift from God.

There's an African proverb that says when elder dies, it's like a library burned down.

And here was this very much alive.

94 year-old elder, who is incredibly accomplished, a trailblazer and pioneer with a library of stories that have not been documented and also black history that has been not been documented and some of which has been actively suppressed.

So I felt to responsibilities.

One, he's 94.

So we needed to move quickly to reflect.

Remember, catalog and condense all these memories into a book quickly and then second, secondly, we wanted to can text to allies in history.

So the 2 days leaders visionary strive ERs and entrepreneurs can understand the magnitude of his accomplishments with in the history and the Times with with in which they took place, which really similar to what's happening now?

Mr. Johnson in the book you it's included in the title how you revolutionize an industry with the Golden Rule, something that you have lived by.

>> How has the golden rule treating others as you would want to be treated?

How has that guy did your life >> made me what I am and what I've been.

The goal remove grounded in love.

And trying to love people.

You can't being at.

First of all, you help them they help you.

It it.

Well, came upon that I was taught that.

>> talked about Mr. Fuller.

I worked in the midst of all of time.

I was 17 years old until I was 24.

Well, I actually got 24.

And just to follow the very devout man and good businessman.

And he live by the golden.

Even mentor.

his encouragement looking at what he did and what it did for him.

I just I you know that I'm going to try to live.

And believe my life my business.

>> you know, whenever she came into the market, black haircare industry was not as big as it is today, which is a multibillion dollar industry black people didn't have a lot of options with regards to their hair care was Mr. Johnson ahead of his time, Mr. Johnson was a pioneer and the creation of ultra Sheen relaxer, which was the first product that allowed African-American women to Kimberly to permanently straighten their hair.

It allowed them to access the mainstream labor market in ways that they have been unable to access before.

>> So it was revolutionary and opening those opportunities up to black women at a time when excluded oftentimes from mainstream jobs and often not seen as human in part because of texture of our hair.

He was a pioneer in terms hiring people within the city of Chicago.

He hired a diverse workforce before anybody did.

He had 11 work environment.

He offered above market wages to African-Americans.

He offered jobs to African-Americans all people of color and women from the factory for to the C-suite before that was done.

He offered profit sharing to everybody in the company way before that was an industry.

Norm, he had health care benefits and on site health care available tuition reimbursement, maternity leave benefits that people still want.

Today, Mister Johnson was offering the 1960's and >> what do you hope people take away from your life story?

>> Help one another.

All right.

That that is a good lesson.

think I'm gonna have to leave it there.

Congrats on the book to both of you.

Thanks again for joining us.

George Johnson.

>> And Hillary Beard.

Thank you.

Thank you for having Again.

The book is called Afro Sheen.

How I revolutionize an