Photo by RDNE Stock project
Step into any barbershop around the world and you are confronted with more than the rhythmic buzzing of clippers chipping away as particle of hairs lay all around the floor, whether it is the occasional haircut or quick beard shave, the everyday grooming experience does not go by without conversations on all range of subjects from sports, job, politics, wealth creative opportunities, family, kids, sex, marriage and all whole host of conversations that are both engaging and enlightening for the men involved.
In Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, barbershops in the town become homes where men find opportunities to bond, receive mentorship and guidance, discover valuable life lessons to address varied issues, and, above all, receive the mental, emotional, and healing support they need to become better men in society.
Intergenerational Sanctuaries
Philly’s barbershops, like all barbershops, are spaces that cater to and cut across every generation and status. From growing kids to teenage boys, from single men to married ones, from men in their midlife to those in their elderly years, these spaces are filled with both clients and helpers ready to offer support to each other, amidst the occasional laughter and banter.
Perhaps, also important are opportunities that these Barbershops have been leveraged upon to deal with the societal challenges that are continually confronted by the Black community in Philadelphia. Whether it is gun violence, incidents of police brutality, racial relationships, employment disparities, divorce and family matters, amongst all other issues, these barbershops have been used by organizations to deal with the many societal issues that have become the daily lived experience of the Black community in Philadelphia.
With programs structured to deal with the varied issues, many of these programs have recorded huge successes by impacting lives and driving change within the Philadelphia community, a case in point being The Barbers Building Better Brothers project, formerly known as Shape Up.
The Shape Up: Barbers Building Better Brothers program was a sexual health intervention program for young African American men between the ages of 18-24. The program, which was a Randomized Control Trial design, was targeted at decreasing violence and retaliation behaviours among young men as well as promoting safe sex among young African Americans by increasing the use of condoms, advocating the reduction of multiple partners, with the ultimate goal of decreasing the rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
The program, which involved 50 barbers in 12 zip codes, targeted about 1200 African American young men, providing them free haircuts as well as life-changing mentorships over a 3 to 12 month period. In a research published by the American Psychological Association, the Shape Up program was a “coping-skills program with young Black men in Philadelphia barbershops that helped reduce reported violent behaviour for up to three months.
The Shape Up: Barbers Building Better Brothers project included 618 young Black men who received free haircuts and stipends to participate in two-hour-long sessions with barbers trained as health educators in 48 barbershops in Philadelphia. Half of the barbers were trained to deliver a violence reduction intervention, while the other half focused on HIV/sexually transmitted disease reduction skills. The men (ages 18-24) were randomly assigned to either group, with both interventions including confidential questionnaires, personal discussions, and iPad role-play activities”.
An Impactful Cultural Institution
Barbershops have continued to play a crucial role as not only the places for male bonding, but also bastions to instill and safeguard cultural values that have shaped the Black community for decades. Referencing something akin to this in an article published by the New York Post, it highlighted that photographer Antonio Johnson makes a point in his book – You Next: Reflections in Black Barbershops that “Barbershops are where Black men can speak freely and receive feedback about who we are, who we want to be, and what we believe to be true about the world around us”.
In a world where culture can quickly be eroded and values misplaced for vices that impact negatively especially in Philadelphia’s Black community, Philly’s barbershops have become a place that provide context to what really matters and help redirect the energies and conversation to the things that matter while also reinforcing the value of Black manhood that is defined not by aggression or violence but by empathy, integrity and responsibility towards family and the community.
Providing learning opportunities through casual conversations between clients, strangers, and friends, Philly’s barbershops offer a haven where Black men can afford to be themselves, only to discover that they are not alone in their struggles and questions. Voicing frustrations freely, they can receive the affirmations and support needed to help them overcome not only every hurdle but also find solutions to problems they have been struggling with from strangers they least expect it from.
Perhaps among their contribution to the Black community and the building up of Black men is the succour they offer to the mental and emotional well-being of men. In a society where men are regularly encouraged to be tough and strong with little regard extended to their daily struggles, Philly’s barbershops are an escape hub from the everyday battles that have become the lived experiences of many Black men. These spaces not only offer a reprieve, but also provide them with the necessary motivation to keep grinding to the success they seek to achieve.
Philly’s Barbershops Impacting Community
- The Barber Lounge: Impacting the community by helping high school students learn what it takes to be entrepreneurs by teaching them the rudiments behind giving a haircut and allowing them to practice what they have learned.
- Clean is Mandatory Barbershop: Provides support as mental health advocates through its partnership program with The Confess Project.
- Philly Cuts (West Philadelphia): Partnered with medical students to conduct blood pressure screening and provide health education tips for patrons in the shop.
- ESPM Hair Zone (West Philadelphia): Partnered with The “Shape Up: Barbers Building Better Brothers” mentorship program that focused on providing guidance and mentorship to young Black men.
- Tyce Combs Barber Academy: Ran a weekly youth activity that addressed gun violence, its prevention, and initiatives for conflict resolution.
- P. Michael Boone’s Shop (Junior Barber Academy): Provided a six-week course for youths to learn about entrepreneurship, barbering skills, and also offered haircuts to the homeless.
- Suite Cuts: Was involved in the “Fade Out HIV: Barber and Clinician Outreach in Philadelphia” program by offering its facility for free HIV screenings during the National Black HIV/AIDS awareness day.
- Barbershop Talk Human Family Day Foundation Inc: Not necessarily a barbershop, but leverage the barbershop setting to provide learning on dialogue, culture, health, and community involvement.
- Vision & Youth – Mentoring in New Dimensions (MIND) Program: Brings youths in contact with local barbershops to provide mentorship, emotional support, and counselling.
- The Barbershop Therapy Foundation: Trains barbers in marginalized communities as mental health advocates as well as leverages voucher-based free haircuts for young people as a means to engage them in productive and meaningful conversations.
Okechukwu Nzeribe works with the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, in Anambra State, Nigeria, and loves unveiling the richness of African cultures. okechukwu.onicima@gmail.com
