African American Barber Shops: A Historical Pathway to Success

By Martin Brossman and Fay Ma’at Ely, Ph.D.

I grew up in Washington D.C. in the sixties and seventies surrounded by remarkable African-American influences. My elementary school in NW Washington was one of the first to get more diverse students as part of an integrated program in the city. For us it meant more kids to play with. Then in fourth grade I went to Woodward School for Boys and I was one of two caucasians in my class. In highschool I had many great friends and saw diversity as a norm. At Woodward School we had two semesters of African-American history which I enjoyed very much. During my high school years I had a chance to be a docent at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site and the Natural History museum during “Black History Month”. I thought I knew a good bit on the topic and was quite proud of my knowledge. As an adult I was visiting the DC Newseam and met a volunteer guide that grew up in DC. We both had African-American history in school. He said, “I bet one important piece of black history you didn't know about” I was very intrigued since I took some pride in my knowledge. The answer was “Black Barber Shops”. He said, “a young black man could apprentice with a established Barbara and have a livelihood”. This just stuck with me and I kept thinking about it and was inspired to get this written. Then I met Fay Ma’at Ely, Ph.D and she was kind enough to help with the story of “Black Barber Shops”.

Historically, barber shops have played a major role in the social, economic and cultural dynamics in the African-American community. Generations of black men; fathers, sons, and grandsons went in to get a trim and shape up and left with the “A to Z” of what was happening in the city. 

What many outside the African American community do not know, is that barber shops were more than a place to get groomed for Sunday morning church service. It was the daily hangout, a meeting of the elders, an employer, a business forum, and a place of refuge and deep connection. According to Oatman-Stanford, it also built community, encouraged political action, was a window to complicated racial dynamics, and helped African-Americans to form their distinct worldviews (2014).

The barbershop was where young African-American men were mentored on life and how to find their place in a society that wasn’t always welcoming to them. It was a business and employment incubator that gave them their first jobs, and first role models of business owners who looked like them. Hinz (2010) says that black barber shops are therapy sessions, news centers, and family reunions.

These were spaces where men played endless hours of chess, bid whist, and dominoes, while chopping it up about local politics, and community affairs. It did not matter the turmoil outside their walls, the barber shop was a safe place to express yourself and vent. Though you may have debated fiercely on sports, music and religion, you left your affiliations at the door and connected with each other man to man.

Today African-American barber shops are still cultural hubs for politics, the latest trends and the Who’s Who. Yet there is a distinct difference in that the barbershop was one of the very few black-owned businesses, with a relatively safe pathway to financial success.

Decades ago, the barber shop was the central place where young African-American males went to find a lead on a job, a business opportunity, or network with the old timers and the up-and-coming generation. Oftentimes barber shop owners gave jobs to the neighborhood kids. Not because they needed the help but, most often, as a way to keep them off the streets and teach them the dignity of an honest day’s labor. It was a regular occurrence for the shop owner to train these same young men as apprentices to learn the business and start their own shops.

African-American men’s barbering has its roots as far back as slavery. During that time, slave masters made money leasing barbers to neighboring plantations and local establishments to groom both slaves and affluent white men. As a result, many black men literally “cut” their way to freedom. This helped pave the way for barbers to rise to prominence as far back as the 1800’s.

By the early 1900s, barbering and the men’s grooming industry became “streets paved with gold” and produced unprecedented wealth and opportunities for black men during some of the toughest eras in modern history. Because of their achievement, many black men began to seek out other industries for entrepreneurial success.

There were so many life lessons I learned growing up in D.C. in such a diverse culture. I feel very blessed that I had such an opportunity. I am also grateful for the man I met at the Newseum and then Fay Ma’at Ely, Ph.D that help me learn about a bit of history that I missed. 

The picture you see was taken when I had some extra time getting to a small town early to give a talk. I noticed a barber shop in town that was African-American run and patronized. I needed a haircut and stopped in. I mentioned my interest in writing an article one day about the history of African-American Barber Shops and ask if someone would take a picture. They responded appropriately as you would to any stranger showing up like I did. There was clearly a younger man learning from the older Barbar. Several men were talking about local news and politics with one woman joining them. It was not hard to see the connection to this history. Though I knew I would always be welcome to get a haircut, entrance to the club may not have been on the table.

African-American barbershops have helped shape our community and our culture. I felt discovering just a small aspect of their influence on our society exciting, especially for my interest in small businesses, mentoring and cultural history. 

Hinz, Tina. (2010). Black Barbershops Serve as Community Hub. [email protected] February 7, 2010

Oatman-Stanford, Hunter. (2014). Straight Razors and Social Justice: The Empowering Evolution of Black Barbershops, The Collector’s Weekly. May 30, 2014.

Thanks to Fay Ma’at Ely, Ph.D. for her core contribute to this article and to my good friend Bill Davis for his support.

I thought Martin Luther King Jr. Day was a good day to post this article since Dr King was one of my heroes growing up (See my article about Dr King and Washington DC).

Love to hear your thought below.