Yesterday I made a visit to my local Walgreens to pick up a prescription. Instead of stopping at the drive-thru I decided to go in and shop for some other items. Walking down the aisle of hair products I noticed a jar of….Afro Sheen! I haven’t seen Afro-Sheen since my pre-teen years. Maybe it’s me and I never noticed it was still being sold in stores. Seeing it not in the “hood” of Kansas City but in what is considered an “affluent”, “non-ethnic” part of town it fascinated me even more. They must have naps in their hair too!!!

Afro Sheen was the product in every black home when I was a kid. The standard equipment was to have Afro Sheen hair grease (‘cuse me let me be proper, “conditioner & hairdress”), oil sheen, and an afro pic in the bathroom. When I went to the barber shop what was put in my hair after the cut? Afro Sheen. What was used in every little girls hair when their Momma’s or older sister’s platted and braided their hair? Afro Sheen. What was the nappy head killer? Afro Sheen. Afro Sheen was like fried chicken, collard greens, the picture of Dr. King and John Kennedy, and of course the crucifix  in Black people homes back then. It was an institution.

Remember Saturday mornings? If (if? if you didn’t you missed something) you watched Soul Train especially in the 1970’s you saw the classic Johnson Products commercials. Johnson Products was Soul Train’s exclusive sponsor. Those commercials were some of the few that glorified the beauty that is being a Black man or woman. They instilled a pride in who we are and where we come from. Something that’s missing today in most of the advertising targeted to the African-American community.

Johnson Products was the first African-American owned company to be listed on the American Stock Exchange. Mr. George Johnson Sr. the founder of Johnson Products was the first African-American to serve on the board of directors of Commonwealth Edison.

Needless to say, I don’t know when I will use it on my hair but I bought a jar of hair grease.