© 2026 WMUK
Public radio from Western Michigan University 102.1 NPR News | 89.9 Classical WMUK
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Work continues on restoring HD services. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The pioneering Black hair care mogul who created Afro Sheen is dead at 99

NPR | By Jordan-Marie Smith,
Jeanette Woods
Published July 7, 2026 at 4:08 PM EDT

George E. Johnson, the entrepreneur behind Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen, has died at 99. NPR remembers how he built an empire based on Black hair care and Black pride.

Copyright 2026 NPR
Jordan-Marie Smith
Jordan-Marie Smith is a producer with NPR's All Things Considered.
Jeanette Woods
[Copyright 2024 NPR]