Clovis E. Semmes
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780252041426
- eISBN:
- 9780252050022
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252041426.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, African-American History
S.B. Fuller was one of the most successful black entrepreneurs of the twentieth century. Early on, he primarily catered to black consumers through his Fuller Products Company, a door-to-door direct ...
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S.B. Fuller was one of the most successful black entrepreneurs of the twentieth century. Early on, he primarily catered to black consumers through his Fuller Products Company, a door-to-door direct sales company featuring personal care products. Later, he surreptitiously bought the previously white-owned Boyer International Laboratories whose product line included Jean Nadal cosmetics. When southern whites discovered Fuller’s ownership of Boyer International, a subsequent boycott damaged this aspect of Fuller’s business holdings. In addition, problems associated with his ownership of Chicago’s South Center commercial complex (which included the iconic Regal Theater), led to his bankruptcy. Ironically, Fuller, during his career, publicly downplayed the importance of white racism. Yet, the racially motivated boycott of Boyer International products was the catalyst for later his commercial misfortunes.
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S.B. Fuller was one of the most successful black entrepreneurs of the twentieth century. Early on, he primarily catered to black consumers through his Fuller Products Company, a door-to-door direct sales company featuring personal care products. Later, he surreptitiously bought the previously white-owned Boyer International Laboratories whose product line included Jean Nadal cosmetics. When southern whites discovered Fuller’s ownership of Boyer International, a subsequent boycott damaged this aspect of Fuller’s business holdings. In addition, problems associated with his ownership of Chicago’s South Center commercial complex (which included the iconic Regal Theater), led to his bankruptcy. Ironically, Fuller, during his career, publicly downplayed the importance of white racism. Yet, the racially motivated boycott of Boyer International products was the catalyst for later his commercial misfortunes.
Jason P. Chambers
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780252041426
- eISBN:
- 9780252050022
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252041426.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, African-American History
John H. Johnson was a titan of 20th century business. Starting from humble beginnings, Johnson created two of the most successful magazines in American history (Ebony and Jet) and built a personal ...
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John H. Johnson was a titan of 20th century business. Starting from humble beginnings, Johnson created two of the most successful magazines in American history (Ebony and Jet) and built a personal fortune made him one of the richest people in America. Yet the strategic decisions Johnson made that led to his successes is much less recognized. This chapter examines how Johnson made key strategic decisions and choices that enabled him to build the Johnson Publishing Company into a major media force. Additionally, it analyzes the choices Johnson made as he grappled with critics of his publishing tactics, other black publishers whose businesses competed with his own, and distributors who refused to carry his products regardless of the financial benefit to them for doing so.
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John H. Johnson was a titan of 20th century business. Starting from humble beginnings, Johnson created two of the most successful magazines in American history (Ebony and Jet) and built a personal fortune made him one of the richest people in America. Yet the strategic decisions Johnson made that led to his successes is much less recognized. This chapter examines how Johnson made key strategic decisions and choices that enabled him to build the Johnson Publishing Company into a major media force. Additionally, it analyzes the choices Johnson made as he grappled with critics of his publishing tactics, other black publishers whose businesses competed with his own, and distributors who refused to carry his products regardless of the financial benefit to them for doing so.
