Barbershops: Nowadays, this community institution offers more than just a good shave and a haircut

I-Witness Barbara White (second from left) was a barber for a day at Gee’s Clippers on Fond du Lac and Sherman. Here she poses with the shop’s staff.

by Barbara White
This month, I-Witness "In My Shoes" series is dedicated to the skill of barbers, as well as support for pamperers like cosmetologist, nail techs, and massages. Barbers can make very good family sustaining wages cutting hair.

At one time in history, barbers were held in high esteem in communities throughout the world. The Greeks, Africans, Romans, Polish and Japanese looked upon barbers as leaders of their communities. Romans valued Barbers so much that they created a statue to the memory of the first barber.

Barbers and barbering--from what I’ve been able to learn--date back to 1042 BC in ancient Kemet (now called Egypt).

Barbershops were looked upon as an institution, like a school or church. Those of royalty--"back in the day"--had on-site barbers and would offer their male guests barbers as a special hospitality.

For centuries, barbers were referred to as "short robes," "barber/surgeons," "tonsore" as they called them in Rome or they were often called "barba," which means "beard" in Latin.

It’s been stated that the only difference between college-educated doctors and surgeons was being called "long robes" and they could speak Latin. Other than that, the "short robes" were said to be just as skilled--if not more so--in the field of medicine as their "long robe" counterparts.

The long robes--doctors and surgeons--surprisingly welcomed the barbers being classified as surgeons because they were more willing than doctors or surgeons to carry out the edict of the Catholic Church, which required bloodletting of the monks. The doctors/surgeons didn’t want anything to do with bloodletting, cleaning abscesses and treating other nasty wounds.

The first known organization of barbers reportedly started in France.

Back in the day right here in America, the Barbershop was where men who traveled came to get a shave or bath after a hard days travel. Of course, it was the Saturday night bath, so that those who went to church would be clean on Sunday.

Most men of the community went to barbershops to get haircuts for church on Sunday and to find out the goings on in their community as well as seek advice, gossip and give opinions. In the old days, barbershops were very similar to the corner bar, where the guys played cards and dominoes or sang. It was their hangout and women were not allowed.

Many barbers were still looked upon as doctors and would treat people in their communities for different types of illnesses. That ended when barber schools were opened and laws were passed. Barber guilds and surgeons were no longer one.

It’s believed the first school for barbers was established in Chicago in 1898. Of course, there were no barber schools for Black Americans and they were denied entry to any of the White barber schools due to a big thing called Jim Crow laws and a dislike for Black people.

Leave it to a man named Henry Morgan to fulfill a need. A native of Tyler, Texas and a graduate of East Texas Academy (now Butler College), Morgan was listed in the city’s barber directory, in 1918. He opened a barber college, the Tyler Barber College in Tyler in 1933.

Texas had pass laws that required barbers to be licensed but excluded Negroes from obtaining a license during the 1920s. Not that White America really cared whether Black barbers were licensed or not. It was against the law for Black people (or "Negroes" as they were called) to go to White schools, barber school or even get a license.

However, Henry did care. He wanted Black barbers to be legitimate and his school provided an opportunity for many barbers.

In 1934, the State of Texas Board of Barbering Examiners granted Morgan a certificate of approval, for a school. He went on to establish barber schools in several other states, including many in the south as well as New York.

Today, the old barber college--Morgan’s dream--still stands, but has become a historical landmark. It is now the H.M. Morgan Barber Museum. Every July 16 the city of Tyler celebrates "Henry Miller Morgan Day."

The barbershop is significant in the building of the father-son relationship. A trip to the barber was a time for bonding between the two. It is especially important when the father takes the son for his very first haircut. The son also learned what it means to be a man by watching the way his father interacted with the other men in the shop discussing a wide variety of topics.

The barber was also the "fix-it man" of his community. Due to his networking with the community, he was able to pass along and receive a wealth of information, hear both sides of an issue or dispute and make a wise decision.

The barber was considered a person of wisdom, a healer, a fixer of disputes, an excellent pamperer and was held in high esteem. They knew how to listen and were (and are) well respected in their communities. Plus, given the rather "playboyish" nature of some barbers (who, by the way, kept themselves well-groomed, they attracted their fair share of attention from the opposite sex, Holla!

Today’s barbers and barbershops are a totally different animal, yet still retain the special traits that make them institutions in our community. More services are offered in the new shops, making them one-stop destinations for hair, nails, and massages.

Many barbershops now have themes. In Chicago, there is a shop that has a spiritual setting, where gospel music plays and folks can read their Bibles. Then there is a shop where customers can give themselves a haircut or shave.

At Gee’s Clippers, there is a sports theme, making it an unmistakable domain for "men only." Sports items are everywhere. Gee’s Clippers on Fond du Lac has a replica of the Milwaukee Buck’s Basketball court. In his new shop on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in the Bronzeville area, it is far more upscale. Plasma televisions grace the walls of the 20-seat shop. It also contains a shoeshine parlor, beauticians, nail tech, and a massage therapist.

Many more women are going to barbershops. The biggest and most obvious reason for this is the large number of female-headed households. Mom is now taking the son to the barbershop. And it’s not just so he can get a hair cut. The women want their sons to be around and interact with other older males.

Most shop owners inform their barbers to watch their "P’s and Q’s" as it relates to the language they use and their behavior because the young males are watching them. This has led to barbershops engaging in more family-oriented activities. This also serves as a way they can give back to their community as well being big contributors to schools by allowing their child customers to come into their shops to sell candy, or pizzas, etc. Barbershops support many local businesses, particularly restaurants and churches or service organizations that sell dinners.

Many barbershops are now careful about the type of music they play or what’s on the shop’s television because of the far-reaching impact media images now have on young children, not to mention the sensitivities of the mothers.

Many shops reward children for having good report cards, not to mention other positive behaviors. Barbers are going as far as to support youths going off to college.

Barbers work very long hours, generally from Wednesday through Saturday. Now shops are open almost every day of the week, including Sunday.

While many think barbers are doing a lot of new things, they are still doing what they do best: cut hair and be leaders in their communities, held in the highest esteem.

Next Week Barbers Community Outreach and I-Witness becomes a barber.