Spelman College

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Joan Johnson co-founded Johnson products with her husband, George

Joan Johnson, who has died at the age of 89, was the largest supplier of African hair products in the United States .

Together with her husband she co-founded Johnson products, one of America's most successful black-managed companies and The First to be listed on The American Stock Exchange.

The Company developed many innovative products to help the members of The Black community, you take care of your hair.

But The Real root of the success of The Company has been recognised in the way That the political power in the hair and used the platform to champion what African-Americans differently.

"I see My Mother as a pioneer," said Joan Johnson's son, Eric , in a statement after her death last week. "Because you, the people, things not to bring to full, you think maybe you could. "

Joan Betty Henderson in Chicago , born in 1929, although little is known about her education.

at The age of 21 she married her High School sweetheart, George Johnson , a former salesman, worked as a chemist for a beauty product company.

It was the era of segregation, and the ideals of beauty In America were according to the physical parameters of the white people. "The Politics of respectability was the rule of The Day ," said Renée Richardson Gosline, senior lecturer in Management Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mit).

Many African-Americans felt the pressure to straighten their naturally curly hair, just to fit in among their white contemporaries. Thrives under their time, an even greater challenge was enjoyed.

Some of the straightening products were available, but did not see the mainstream consumer, and George an opportunity. In the year 1954, with a $250 credit he concluded with a barbershop owner to create a hair straightener for black Men .

activists like Angela Davis used the afro hair style as a symbol of rebellion and black pride

The Product , Ultra Wave hair culture, was tested in The Shop . With the barbershop so busy, George was left after both the production and the sales sides, and their partnership shattered finally.

He and his wife later joined, and together they went and found Johnson products. The success came almost immediately.

Joan Johnson worked behind the scenes as Treasurer, dealing with orders, accounts and logistics, and was an unsung hero in the success. During your first year That you will be More Than sales quadrupled to $ 75,000.

to be booming As a company, the couple were forced to move to cope with warehouses several times with The Company 's newfound growth.

There were many obstacles on the way. One of their buildings in a predominantly white neighborhood of Chicago had smashed his windows often, and was once firebombed.

An electrical fire burned down a production plant in the year 1964, the destruction of The Company 's inventory and the killing of an employee.

Afro-Sheen , Johnson products was a turning point in American political history

Despite the setbacks, tap into the couple $1m in annual sales in 1961 reached. She also published a new shampoo, cream rinse, and Ultra-Shine, a women-hair straightening product, That The Process is cheaper and less time-consuming.

But as the civil rights and Black Power movements in strength in the 1960s, notions of beauty, not only the policy began to change, and many African-Americans turned away from straighteners.

Instead, activists like Angela Davis wore The Natural afros, as a sign of rebellion against the white Status Quo and pride in the African-American identity. In response, Johnson products Afro launched Sheen , to obtain a product afros, do not change.

The Company also typed in this historic turn of a promotional campaign for The Natural beauty of the Afro-Americans.

By the end of the 1960s, Johnson products, The Black -dominated hair care market in the last ten years, and $10m in sales.

The Company message "is much deeper than beauty," said Renée Richardson Gosline, mit lecturer.

"It was a statement about being proud of who you are as a black person, which was quite revolutionary at the time. "

As the national profile, the interest of investors grew, and in 1971, Joan Johnson headed The Company 's public listing on The American stock exchange, the third largest stock exchange in the United States .

The Company also weathered an economic recession, three years later, and a government to print health warnings on all products with lye.

her success attracted industry giants like Revlon in the market, like other companies, the potential, the buying power of the community, the overlook, you previously realized.

the competition grew, and so has sought the segmentation within black hairstyles such as Afro-Americans, to Express their individual identity.

over time, Johnson products feuds a reputation for lagging behind market trends, and in his last years, The Company was riddled with family.

In 1989, after eight straight years of losses, divorced Johnson, her husband, took control of The Company and was appointed as Chairman.

More life in the profile:

George stepped in as chief executive and was replaced by The Johnsons ' son, Eric , who was President up to That time. But family loyalties are in conflict with business priorities - Eric anyone landed his Two Brothers , allegedly because he was dissatisfied with their work.

Eric Johnson was widely credited with the revival of the society, but resigned in 1992, after the rejection of the promotion of his younger sister to a senior position.

Some of The Family , the cracks healed, and Johnson went on to marry George after his second marriage ended in divorce. However, the financial difficulties mounted, you supervised the sale of the Family Business to Ivax pharmaceuticals giant.

As a result of $73m business, Johnson products have passed out of black ownership for the First Time in its history. Some saw the acquisition as a sign of racial progress. For others, it marks a step back for the African-American community, and the loss of the icon so closely associated with black identity.

not to deny The Legacy of Joan Johnson, and The Company , the building they helped to is.

you and your family donated to several African American community groups, and Johnson served on the boards of organizations, including Spelman College , a historically black women's college in Atlanta.

Johnson products also helped The Black culture into the mainstream with sponsoring Soul Train , music and dance show from Chicago , which later became nationally syndicated for 35 years.

"[Johnson products] was not some abstract thing, for the people in the African American community," said Katherine Phillips, a professor of management at Columbia Business School, in an interview with the BBC.

"It was a real family who work hard Every Day and to serve, to do the needs of the African American community, if no one else was. "

united states, obituaries

Source of news: bbc.com