The American Barbershop

It was just like this.

Back in Washington (the state) I usually get my hair cut at a place officially called The Hair Club for Men. A guy from work and I are on the same haircut schedule so we usually go after work to get haircuts and then grab a drink at the Japanese Steakhouse next door. We refer to the barber shop as the "geisha lounge" because it is staffed by all Asian women (except for one token white lady) and caters to giving High-and-Tight haircuts that the sailors and marines. We call the entire strip mall Silverdale's Asian Village because in addition to the Geisha Lounge and Japanese Steakhouse there is a Teriyaki place and a Asian Nail Salon. There goes any hope this post had for being racially sensitive.

I went to the barbershop today in DC for a haircut. I didn't know of one in DC so I looked one up on my iPhone and went to it. It turned out to be a black barbershop, but I went in anyways because they had an open chair and I needed a haircut. The haircut was fine but while I was in there though it really got me thinking.

It seems to me that barbershops are one of the last businesses in America that truly segregated. I think this may be due to two reasons. 

First, I think it has a lot to do with the differences between the hair. It probably takes a different skill set to cut hair for white vs black people. As I was getting my hair cut, I couldn't think of a single time that a black person had come in for a haircut while I was at the barber (except for today). I'm not even sure the lady that cuts my hair would know what to do with someone without fine hair. And since she doesn't speak much English, I'm not sure anyone could explain it to her.

Second, I think the there is a cultural aspect to the black barbershop that doesn't exist in white barbershops. Granted, I'm making this statement after only one visit to a black barbershop and several repeated viewings of Barbershop 2: Back in Business. The black barbershop seems like a social event rather then an errand. When I was there today, there were a couple of guys just hanging out and not even getting their hair cut. I would never hang out at my barbershop (even though they do have a pool table). 

I think it is interesting that in a society that is becoming more and more inclusive, the strong holdout is none other than the lowly corner barbershop for practical reasons as well as cultural. Although, I'd reckon that churches may be high on the list too. But today, I broke down the final barrier. Or at least I hope they didn't make fun of me after I left.