Sonari Glinton

And Black workers are streaming into northern cities like Detroit and Chicago.

And at the time, the biggest music star is Nat King Cole.

Nat King Cole is the absolute epitome of Black style during this era.

His smooth voice, immaculate tailoring, and shiny straight hair.

This was before George Johnson started his hair care company and well before Joan Johnson started rocking Chanel.

George wasn't straightening his hair like Nat King Cole.

That wasn't his world.

But he saw it was what a lot of Black folks really wanted.

They were going crazy for this.

And this was when George Johnson was coming of age, though he'd actually been hustling for years already.

And while he was poor, he was lucky enough to land at this legendary Chicago high school.

It's called Wendell Phillips.

And Nat King Cole went there, Sam Cooke, Mary T. Washington.

She was the first Black woman CPA.

And that high school was where George would meet his future wife, Joan.

Joan graduated.

George didn't finish because he needed money.

How do you get a chemistry background?

After two years of high school?

That was enough.