VIDEO: The Lasting Legacy Of George E. Johnson Sr. Will Not Be Forgotten
George E. Johnson was laid to rest, his contribution lives on.
On July 6, 2026, the business world lost a true pioneer with the passing of George E. Johnson Sr. at 99. As the co-founder of Johnson Products Company, he was not just a successful entrepreneur but a transformative figure who used economic power to uplift the African American community.
In the following video, Alfred A. Edmond, Jr., BLACK ENTERPRISE’s executive vice president and chief content officer, takes a moment to lay bare Johnson’s character and the direct impact and influence Johnson has had during his professional career:
Community Impact and Integrity
Beyond commercial success, Johnson’s factories and offices served as vital economic engines, helping to build the foundation of Chicago’s Black middle class.
His journey also navigated the complex evolution of corporate growth. When the company was sold to a white-owned conglomerate in 1993 amid a divorce, it sparked a national debate over the future of minority wealth-building. Throughout this public scrutiny, Johnson maintained absolute grace and transparency—a commitment to fair dealing detailed in his memoir, Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized the Industry with the Golden Rule. He and his wife, Joan, eventually reunited and reacquired the company.
The Takeaway
George E. Johnson Sr. redefined corporate leadership by proving that true business success is measured by generational community impact rather than just profit margins. Today’s entrepreneurs stand firmly on the shoulders of his historic achievements.
Nearly 2 Million Americans Face Long-Term Unemployment Despite Lower Jobless Rate
Adults aged between 25 and 54 represented the largest share of long-term unemployed workers.
Nearly 2 million Americans remained unemployed for at least six months in June, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released July 3, underscoring persistent challenges in the labor market despite a slight decline in the nation’s overall unemployment rate, Fast Company reports.
The BLS reported employers added 57,000 jobs in June while the unemployment rate edged down to 4.2% from 4.3% in May. However, the improvement largely reflected fewer Americans participating in the labor force rather than a significant increase in hiring. The labor force participation rate fell three-tenths of a percentage point to 61.5%, its lowest level since March 2021.
Approximately 1.9 million Americans had been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer in June, accounting for 27.3% of the nation’s unemployed workers. That share increased by about four percentage points compared with June 2025, signaling that many job seekers continue to face lengthy searches for new employment. The average duration of unemployment reached 25.5 weeks.
Adults aged between 25 and 54 represented the largest share of long-term unemployed workers, with people in their late 20s and 30s among the most affected groups.
The increase comes as several major employers, including Meta, Microsoft, Atlassian, Lucid, and Block, have announced workforce reductions in recent months, adding experienced candidates to an already competitive job market. While severance packages often include several months of pay and temporary healthcare benefits, many expire before workers are able to secure new positions.
Extended unemployment is also affecting workers’ mental health. An April 2026 survey of 5,000 unemployed adults conducted by Talker Research found that only 23% of respondents said they consistently felt motivated during their job search, while 31% reported they had stopped actively searching for work. The survey also found the average respondent had been unemployed for six months, with nearly one-third searching for even longer.
Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell described the labor market in 2025 as a “low-firing, low-hiring environment,” where employers have slowed both hiring and layoffs, making it more difficult for unemployed workers to reenter the workforce quickly.
Mid-Career Workers Are Taking On More Work Without Bigger Paychecks
The trend comes as businesses continue restructuring their workforces.
The traditional mid-career path is shifting as companies streamline operations, eliminate management layers, and expect experienced employees to absorb additional responsibilities without corresponding promotions or pay increases, prompting career experts to urge workers to reassess and communicate the value they bring to their organizations, Fast Company reports.
The trend comes as businesses continue restructuring their workforces. U.S. entry-level job postings have dropped about 35% since early 2023, according to labor market analytics firm Revelio Labs. At the same time, a 2025 survey of 15,000 professionals by the executive search and consulting firm Korn Ferry found that 41% of respondents reported that their employers reduced management layers in the previous year.
While layoffs and hiring slowdowns often dominate headlines, career experts say the greatest burden is increasingly falling on experienced professionals who occupy the middle of an organization. As companies flatten their hierarchies, work once handled by junior employees, managers, or cross-functional teams is frequently reassigned to mid-career staff, expanding their responsibilities without changing their titles or compensation.
Experts recommend that employees begin by evaluating how their roles have changed over time. That includes identifying tasks inherited from entry-level positions, from former supervisors, other departments, or newly implemented artificial intelligence systems. From there, workers should distinguish between responsibilities that rely on their expertise and judgment and routine tasks that could be delegated, automated, or eliminated.
Career advisors recommend discussing how responsibilities have evolved, outlining the value those changes have created, and seeking adjustments to workload, authority, or recognition. That could include requests for greater decision-making responsibilities, updated job titles, compensation increases, or increased visibility with senior leadership.
As organizations continue operating with leaner teams, career experts say clearly defining and communicating one’s evolving contributions can help ensure that expanded responsibilities translate into long-term career growth instead of becoming an overlooked expectation.
More Workers Test Positive For Marijuana As Employers Ease Hiring Rules
The findings reflect a shifting workplace landscape as employers balance hiring needs with evolving attitudes toward marijuana use.
Marijuana continues to appear more frequently in workplace drug tests across the United States, so many employers are easing hiring policies as they compete for workers and adapt to changing state cannabis laws, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Quest Diagnostics reported that 4.4% of nearly eight million workforce urine drug tests conducted in 2025 were positive for marijuana, up from 3.9% in 2021. Hair testing, which detects drug use over a longer period, showed an even sharper increase, with 15% of tests returning positive results. Among employees subject to random hair testing, the positivity rate climbed to 21%, according to the company’s annual Drug Testing Index.
The findings reflect a shifting workplace landscape as employers balance hiring needs with evolving attitudes toward marijuana use. While cannabis remains illegal under federal law, many states have legalized its medical or recreational use, prompting some businesses to reconsider blanket testing policies for applicants.
Employment attorney Todd Logsdon, a partner at Fisher Phillips, told the outlet that labor shortages have influenced those decisions.
“I’ve had other employers tell me, ‘If I test for that, I’m not gonna have any applicants,'” Logsdon said. “They’re being very choosy about which role they test for.”
A 2024 Fisher Phillips survey of nearly 1,000 employers found that about half no longer require pre-employment marijuana testing for at least some positions. Among companies that continue screening applicants for cannabis, 44% said the practice has made recruiting more difficult, while nearly one-quarter said they were considering changing their policies.
Several major employers, including Amazon, Citigroup, Home Depot, and AutoNation, have eliminated marijuana screening for many non-safety-sensitive positions. However, industries such as transportation, aviation, construction, and other safety-sensitive sectors continue to require drug testing because of federal regulations and workplace safety standards.
Quest Diagnostics also reported increases in positive workforce tests for cocaine, amphetamines, and methamphetamine in 2025. At the same time, the positivity rate for fentanyl in urine drug tests declined by about half from 2024 levels, according to the company’s findings.
Millions Of Americans Are Going Into Debt Just To Buy Groceries
The findings come as grocery prices have climbed about 32% over the past five years.
Millions of Americans are turning to credit cards, buy-now-pay-later loans, and personal savings to pay for groceries as food prices continue to strain household budgets, The Street reports.
The nonprofit research organization’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, which polled more than 10,000 working-age adults nationwide, found that many consumers are increasingly relying on debt to cover everyday food purchases.
The Urban Institute found that 63% of working-age adults used a credit card to buy groceries during the previous year. While most paid their balances in full, 19.6% carried a balance while making at least the minimum payment, and 8.7% said they did not consistently make the minimum payment. That share increased from 7.1% two years earlier, according to the report.
The survey also found that nearly 10% of adults used buy-now, pay-later loans to purchase groceries. Among those borrowers, 34.8% missed at least one payment. About 20% of respondents also reported using savings intended for emergencies or other long-term financial goals to pay for groceries.
Lower- and moderate-income households were hit hardest. Approximately 12% missed a minimum credit card payment tied to grocery purchases, about three times the rate of higher-income households. They also were roughly four times more likely to miss a buy now, pay later payment, according to Fox Business.
“For low- and moderate-income families, [groceries are] a really big portion of their budget, and so when food prices increase, they have much less breathing room to accommodate that,” Kassandra Martinchek, a public policy expert at the Urban Institute and co-author of the report, said in the study.
The findings also coincide with broader financial pressures. A May CBS News poll found that more than three-quarters of Americans said their incomes were not keeping pace with inflation.
The Urban Institute warned that while credit and savings can provide temporary relief for families struggling to meet basic needs, prolonged reliance on those resources “may lead to financial instability if they have a hard time keeping up with debt or do not recover financially after drawing down savings.”
Blair Underwood Shares His Definition Of Excellence
His instinct is to be a service to other people
BLACK ENTERPRISE has featured Blair Underwood many times over in his extraordinary film, television, and theatre career. As an actor, director, and producer, he’s made a career challenging what it means to be Black in America. In 2007, he portrayed Jesus Christ in an 89-hour, fully dramatized audio Bible book, The Bible Experience.
In 2010, Our World with Black Enterprise featured Underwood portraying United States President Elias Martinez in the NBC drama series The Event. And again in 2012, when he played the lead role of Stanley in the Broadway revival of A Streetcar Named Desire with Nicole Ari Parker. In 2025, Blair Underwood shared his inspiration to an audience of Black men attending the XCEL Summit for Men and on why being excellent is the best weapon against racism. And as we continue our approach to the 10th anniversary of the XCEL Summit for Men, he wants every Black man to know we all can be great! Check out this short excerpt from his panel discussion, and experience why you can be great, too.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 18: Dr. Michael Lomax, Ph.D., President & CEO, United Negro College Fund (UNCF) attends 38th Annual Atlanta UNCF Mayor's Masked Ball at Atlanta Marriott Marquis on December 18, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Dr. Michael L. Lomax To Retire After 22 Years Of Transforming UNCF
Dr. Lomax has secured billions for HBCUs during his tenure.
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) has announced that its legendary President and CEO, Dr. Michael L. Lomax, will conclude his historic tenure in June 2027.
The announcement, delivered by UNCF Board Chair Milton H. Jones, Jr., marks the culmination of a 22-year legacy that fundamentally shifted how America invests in historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority students.
The transition is the result of a deliberate, multi-year succession plan designed to maintain the organization’s massive strategic momentum, institutional wealth, and unwavering commitment to Black excellence.
“Few leaders have shaped an institution as profoundly as Dr. Lomax has shaped UNCF,” Jones said in a statement shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“For more than two decades, he has elevated HBCUs on the national stage, expanded educational opportunity for hundreds of thousands of students, strengthened our member institutions, and positioned UNCF for enduring success. Thanks to Dr. Lomax’s vision and leadership, UNCF is stronger than ever.”
The $4 Billion Legacy: Elevating the Business of HBCUs
Since taking the helm in 2004, Dr. Lomax has been a powerhouse fundraiser, driving unprecedented corporate partnerships and philanthropic capital into the HBCU ecosystem. Under his watch, UNCF transformed from a traditional scholarship fund into a financial juggernaut and a premier advocate for educational equity.
Key milestones of his transformational leadership include:
The Billion-Dollar Standard: Raised more than $4 billion from private and philanthropic sources to support Black students and institutions.
A 10X Endowment Surge: Skyrocketed UNCF’s endowment from $60 million to $500 million, with projections to hit $600 million before his departure.
Massive Student ROI: Helped more than 300,000 students graduate, awarding scholarships to students across 600 U.S. institutions, including UNCF’s 36 member HBCUs.
Economic Mobility: Positioned HBCUs as vital, non-negotiable engines for workforce development, corporate diversity pipelines, and wealth creation.
Beyond the balance sheets, Lomax reshaped the national narrative around Black colleges, successfully bridging the gap between corporate America, philanthropy, and higher education. Lomax shared his enthusiasm around the organization’s wins with BE at the 2024 UNCF Mayor’s Ball in Atlanta:
Finishing Strong and the Search for the Next Visionary
Lomax isn’t slowing down during his final year. Through June 2027, he will spearhead the rollout of UNCF’s 2030 Strategic Plan and continue driving the organization’s massive $1 billion capital campaign. To guarantee a flawless handoff, Lomax will stay on in a consultative role for a year after his official retirement to support the incoming chief executive.
“Serving as president and CEO of UNCF has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Dr. Lomax said. “Everything we have accomplished has been made possible through the extraordinary partnership of our board, our member institutions, our donors, and the champions who believe deeply in our mission… While this marks an important leadership transition, it is not a pause in our work. UNCF has tremendous momentum.”
The UNCF Board of Directors has already launched a comprehensive national search to identify the next trailblazer capable of building on Lomax’s historic foundation and steering the organization into its next era of growth and multigenerational impact.
About UNCF
Since 1944, UNCF has raised more than $6 billion, helping generations of Black students get to and through college. Awarding more than 13,000 scholarships annually totaling over $64 million, UNCF continues to champion the pipeline of Black professionals and leaders under its iconic banner: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” ®
HGTV Star Noel Collier Spills Insider Secrets Homebuyers Need To Know
The host of the new series 'Extreme Buyers Club' opens up about using real estate to build wealth.
HGTV has a brand-new show spotlighting some of the most unusual requests ever from homebuyers, and it’s led by a top-performing real estate agent straight out of Houston.
Premiering Tuesday, July 21, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Extreme Buyers Club follows Noel Collier as she helps unique buyers on their house hunts: a recent divorcée seeking acreage for dozens of llamas, a ghost-obsessed couple searching for a haunted home, or a professional mermaid needing lots of water.
“To have the opportunity to host my own show on HGTV—a network I’ve watched, admired, and respected for years is truly beyond my wildest dreams,” Collier shared on Instagram.
“What started as years of building my business, serving clients, staying disciplined, walking by faith, and believing in a bigger vision has now turned into a national television platform,” she continued. “It represents sacrifice, growth, resilience, obedience, and proof that God can open doors bigger than anything you could have imagined for yourself.”
Collier spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE exclusively, sharing her best advice for everyday homebuyers to help them choose wisely, survive the process, and build wealth:
What are some of the biggest mistakes you see homebuyers make on their house hunt?
One of the biggest mistakes I see buyers make is only thinking about the now. They’re focused on what works for their life today instead of asking, “Will this home still work for me five, seven, or even 10 years from now?” Life changes—families grow, aging parents may need to move in, careers evolve, and new opportunities may require you to relocate. Buying a home isn’t just about where you are today; it’s about making a decision that supports where you’re headed tomorrow.
I also see buyers put too much pressure on finding their forever home right away. I always remind my clients that your first home is often your first investment. It doesn’t have to be your last; it should be the foundation. Build equity, let your investment work for you, and use it as a stepping stone to create long-term wealth.
Extreme Buyers Club specializes in out-of-the-box listings for wild requests, but all homebuying processes contain a surprise or two. How should buyers prepare themselves for curveballs?
Real estate is full of unexpected twists; that’s part of what makes it exciting. Whether it’s an inspection surprise, an appraisal issue, financing hiccups, or unexpected negotiations, flexibility is one of the most valuable things a buyer can bring to the table.
Preparation starts long before you write an offer. Have your financing in order, maintain an emergency fund for unexpected expenses, and surround yourself with professionals who know how to solve problems instead of simply pointing them out.
One thing I’ve learned after years in this business is that very few transactions are completely perfect. The buyers who have the best experience are the ones who stay informed, trust the process, and remember that temporary obstacles don’t necessarily mean you’ve found the wrong home; they’re often just part of getting to the right one.
If buyers are approaching real estate as the cornerstone of their long-term wealth-building plan, what should they be looking for in their next purchase?
If your goal is to build wealth through real estate, you need to have a strategy, not just a wish list. I also encourage buyers not to limit themselves to single-family homes. Duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes can often be purchased with conventional or FHA financing, giving you the opportunity to live in one unit while generating rental income from the others. When you buy with a long-term strategy in mind, you’re not just purchasing a home; you’re building a financial foundation.
On the flip side, because you know what homebuyers want, you must have some great advice for sellers. What should sellers be doing to maximize their return?
Presentation and pricing win every time. Buyers want homes that feel move-in ready, and they want to feel like they’re getting value. A clean, well-prepared home that’s priced strategically will almost always outperform an overpriced home with great potential. Make the investment in your asset to yield the greatest return on investment.
Millions Of Student Loan Borrowers Have 90 Days To Switch Repayment Plans
Borrowers who fail to choose a new repayment plan will be automatically enrolled.
Millions of federal student loan borrowers enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment program are being told they have 90 days to select a new repayment option after the U.S. Department of Education began issuing notices on July 15, as the administration continues dismantling the income-driven plan. The change affects borrowers whose loans have remained in administrative forbearance while litigation over SAVE has played out in federal court, Forbes reports.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, borrowers who fail to choose a new repayment plan before their individual deadlines will be automatically enrolled in the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan, an option that could increase monthly payments depending on loan balances and income. The department said borrowers can instead apply for eligible repayment plans, including the long-standing Income-Based Repayment (IBR) program.
“The Department is providing borrowers with a 90-day window to select a new repayment plan,” the Education Department said in its notification to affected borrowers. “If no selection is made, borrowers will be placed into the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan.”
The transition follows a series of federal court rulings that blocked implementation of key portions of the SAVE plan, preventing the Education Department from continuing the program while legal challenges proceed. The Trump administration has since moved to wind down SAVE and transition borrowers into repayment plans that remain authorized under federal law.
The SAVE plan, introduced during the Biden administration, lowered monthly payments for many borrowers by tying payments to discretionary income and, in some cases, reducing them to $0. Millions of borrowers have remained in payment limbo as the legal dispute unfolded.
Borrowers are encouraged to review all available repayment options before their deadlines because monthly payment amounts, interest costs, and long-term student loan forgiveness eligibility vary by plan. Additional information and repayment applications are available through the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website, where borrowers can compare available options before automatic enrollment occurs.
