“Getting my haircut was always an outing I did with my dad. I liked going to the barbershop because it seemed like a place where all of the men got together and shot the breeze."

"When I was a kid, I thought that everyone in the barbershop knew one another because of the camaraderie, but sometimes the conversations would get hostile. It sounded like they were arguing. I’d get a little nervous and look over at my dad. He would say, ‘Everything's fine. It’s just barbershop talk.’ I’ve since learned that most of the time the men were disagreeing about sports or something harmless.

Almost any topic was fair game within those walls, but typically they spoke of things they didn't want the women to know. Whenever a woman entered, it kinda changed the atmosphere. There were no more bad words and nothing rude was spoken. They didn’t want to sound ignorant. You know what I mean? We do the same thing here."

"We refer to barbershops as The Black Man's Country Club. 

It’s the place you come to get the latest scoop or great information that has to do with just about anything in life. I can tell you where to get tires, who’s the best mechanic, where to shop, the best magician for parties, whatever. I’ve got all the hookups.

My ear is always to the street. I know a lot of people from all walks of life. I’m a living info-matrix. Think about it, if I cut 10 people's hair a day, five days a week. That’s 50 different people I’ve spoken with and most of them are from the surrounding communities. That’s a lot of conversations, a lot of information."

"Barbers can have a big impact on society. In many ways we’re role models for our community. Parents bring their kids here and expect us to treat them with respect. A lot of children look up to us. It’s a place where they can come in comfort and be heard. That’s important.”