Magazine content is available exclusively for TIME subscribers.Business: Black Beauty
Johnson tries a comeback
In 1954 George E. Johnson started his own business in a South Side Chicago storefront by borrowing $250 and mixing, with wooden poles, a hair straightener for blacks. Twenty-two years later his company's health and beauty products had $39 million in annual sales, and Johnson Products became the first black-owned firm to be listed on the American Stock Exchange. But now Johnson's empire is tottering after conflicts with federal bureaucrats and tough competition from cosmetic giants like Revlon. Company sales fell last year to $31 million, and earnings have...
Email, Password or Region is incorrect
A required form parameter was missing.
The System is currently down. Please try again in a few minutes.
Email Address is invalid
Password is blank
Most Popular »
- JC Penney and Ellen, Lowe's and All-American Muslim: A Tale of Two Bigotries
- Four Ways the U.S. Could End Up at War with Iran Before the Election*
- The Art of Nazi Hunting: How Israel's Mossad Found Adolf Eichmann
- Study: Zapping the Brain Boosts Memory
- College Endowments: Why Even Harvard Isn't As Rich As You Think
- Bradying: The Poor Man's Tebowing
- Pentagon Rules 'Shift' on Women in Combat
- Twimmolation Alert: Roland Martin Gets His Ascot in Hot Water at CNN
- House Pulls the Plug. Too Soon or Too Late?
- Why We Need a New Definition of 'PC'
- The Upside Of Being An Introvert (And Why Extroverts Are Overrated)
- The Brain: How The Brain Rewires Itself
- Egypt's NGO Crisis: How Will U.S. Aid Play in the Controversy?
- Friends With Benefits
- Why Is Your Boss Moving to Brazil?
- New York City: 10 Things to Do
- Seoul Searching
- Pentagon Rules 'Shift' on Women in Combat
- Haiti Papers Over the Past: The Rebranding of 'Baby Doc' Duvalier
- In Singapore, Finding Peace Among the Pain of Thaipusam
More News from Our Partners
Top Stories on TIME.com
Quotes of the Day »
