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“We Cut Heads”: The Black Barbershop as a Public Sphere. |
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Abstract:
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Black barbers enjoyed a unique status among blacks dating back to the antebellum era and continuing through the modern Civil Rights Movement. Up until the early twentieth century, many of the employed black barbers worked in the “white trade”, exclusively cutting the hair of white men. Some of these black men parlayed their contacts with white elites into material wealth and political influence. The twentieth century signaled the end of large numbers of black barbers engaging in the white trade. Changing white attitudes about blacks in the service industry, shifting demographics, and urban migration drastically altered the nature of the barbering business. By the middle of the century, most black barbers were involved in the black trade. Chastened by their experiences as veterans of the two world wars, barbers of this generation were both small businessmen and political activists. Their shops became sanctuaries and community centers for African Americans within the Jim Crow South.
This paper explores the black barbershop as a public space where black men gained financial independence in a southern economy geared to keep blacks subservient to whites. As a result, barbershops became not only a viable outlet for the entrepreneurial spirit, but also served as a secure forum for the discussion and the promotion of African American political endeavors. Though much has been written about the role of the black church in the African American community, little has been written about the barbershop as an important social and cultural institution. The barbershop was one of the few places where African American men interacted regardless of class, education, or occupation. Because of the scarcity of primary sources suitable for recreating the social interactions of a barbershop, this research utilizes oral histories from Duke University’s Behind the Veil collection as well as interviews conducted by the author. |
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Association:
Name: Association for the Study of African American Life and History
URL: http://www.asalh.org
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Citation:
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MLA Citation:
| Malone, Barry. "“We Cut Heads”: The Black Barbershop as a Public Sphere." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sep 28, 2004 <Not Available>. 2009-05-26 <http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p116566_index.html> |
APA Citation:
| Malone, B. F. , 2004-09-28 "“We Cut Heads”: The Black Barbershop as a Public Sphere." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania <Not Available>. 2009-05-26 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p116566_index.html |
Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Black barbers enjoyed a unique status among blacks dating back to the antebellum era and continuing through the modern Civil Rights Movement. Up until the early twentieth century, many of the employed black barbers worked in the “white trade”, exclusively cutting the hair of white men. Some of these black men parlayed their contacts with white elites into material wealth and political influence. The twentieth century signaled the end of large numbers of black barbers engaging in the white trade. Changing white attitudes about blacks in the service industry, shifting demographics, and urban migration drastically altered the nature of the barbering business. By the middle of the century, most black barbers were involved in the black trade. Chastened by their experiences as veterans of the two world wars, barbers of this generation were both small businessmen and political activists. Their shops became sanctuaries and community centers for African Americans within the Jim Crow South.
This paper explores the black barbershop as a public space where black men gained financial independence in a southern economy geared to keep blacks subservient to whites. As a result, barbershops became not only a viable outlet for the entrepreneurial spirit, but also served as a secure forum for the discussion and the promotion of African American political endeavors. Though much has been written about the role of the black church in the African American community, little has been written about the barbershop as an important social and cultural institution. The barbershop was one of the few places where African American men interacted regardless of class, education, or occupation. Because of the scarcity of primary sources suitable for recreating the social interactions of a barbershop, this research utilizes oral histories from Duke University’s Behind the Veil collection as well as interviews conducted by the author. |
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