"Barbershops are synonymous with great memories, and nostalgic by the smells and feeling of a fresh cut or shave. Barbershops of America is the product of a 7-year journey by Rob Hammer, who traveled to all 50 states of the USA, documenting the disappearing old-school barbershop and the men who were staples of their community. Photographs and stories chronicle the barbershops of old, but also capture the stark contrast that is the "next generation" of traditional barbers. These new-school barbers may look like the polar opposite of what a traditional barber would look like, yet despite the obvious difference in the way these professionals carry themselves, their purpose is consistent: to carry on the tradition that they love."--Back cover

Examines the history of black-owned barber shops in the United States, from pre-Civil War Era through today.

This is the first volume ever to explore old-time barbershop items: poles, chairs, mugs, bottles, razors, signs, and much more. It documents the occupational history of traditional barbershops, which are fading today. More than 900 items appear in over 650 color photographs with current market prices.

They advocated economic independence from whites and founded insurance companies that became some of the largest black-owned corporations.--L. Diane Barnes "Alabama Review"

What is the best way to understand black political ideology? Just listen to the everyday talk that emerges in public spaces, suggests Melissa Harris-Lacewell. And listen this author has--to black college students talking about the Million Man March and welfare, to Southern, black Baptists discussing homosexuality in the church, to black men in a barbershop early on a Saturday morning, to the voices of hip-hop music and Black Entertainment Television. Using statistical, experimental, and ethnographic methods Barbershops, Bibles, and B.E.T offers a new perspective on the way public opinion and ideologies are formed at the grassroots level. The book makes an important contribution to our understanding of black politics by shifting the focus from the influence of national elites in opinion formation to the influence of local elites and people in daily interaction with each other. Arguing that African Americans use community dialogue to jointly develop understandings of their collective political interests, Harris-Lacewell identifies four political ideologies that constitute the framework of contemporary black political thought: Black Nationalism, Black Feminism, Black Conservatism and Liberal Integrationism. These ideologies, the book posits, help African Americans to understand persistent social and economic inequality, to identify the significance of race in that inequality, and to devise strategies for overcoming it.

Fine art photography book of deserted basketball courts from all across America made during 8+ years and 200,000+ miles of travel by Rob Hammer

"A stirring work . . . images meet text to convey a most handsome portrait of Black barbering in America as a revered cultural practice. Honest, intelligent, poignant—You Next is brilliant from cover to cover." —Maurice Wallace, Rutgers University An intimate photographic exploration of the ways Black barber shops operate as sites for the cultivation of Black male identity and wellness Growing up, getting a haircut was a weekly event Antonio M. Johnson looked forward to more than anything. There in that tilted chair surrounded by members of his community and totems of a shared experience, Johnson felt safe—felt like anything was possible. Barber shops are more than places simply to get a cut. They are where Black men can speak and receive feedback about who we are, who we want to be, and what we believe to be true about the world around us. The interpretation of the barber shop as community center falls short of capturing what they really are for so many Black men: sanctuaries in a hostile land. You Next is an intimate photographic exploration of Black barber shops in major US cities—Gary, Indiana; Washington DC; New York City; Oakland; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Detroit; New Orleans; Montgomery; Memphis, and Johnson's hometown of Philadelphia. These photos, interviews, and essays tell the full story of the Black barber shop in America.

"As Keepin' it Hushed will illustrate, African American hush harbor rhetoric (AAHHR) remains a powerful aspect of African American rhetoric containing and conveying African American epistemes and rationalities central to African American life and culture and to what Black folks are puttin' down. Away from the disciplining gaze of whiteness. This rhetoric emerges from camouflaged spaces and places.... Enslaved and free African Americans referred to these spatialities as hush harbors" -- from the introduction.

A fun and instructive guide to the most popular men's hairstyles of the 20th century The Barber Book is a fun guide to the most popular men's hairstyles of the 20th century, including quirky line drawings to achieve the 'total look' and instructions on how to cut each style. Packed with information this smart handbook uses quirky illustrations and vintage photographs to explore the most popular hairstyles of the 20th century from the undercut and the afro to the classic Madison Avenue look. With a focus on personalities, culture and fashions and cultural events that inspired each look, the book opens with an illustrated introduction exploring the most popular styles of the 1940s, 50s and 60s through archival photography. The book includes a brand new directory of the world's finest barber shops.

Newsroom, political platform, local hot spot, confession box, preacher-pulpit and football stadium. For generations, African men have gathered in barber shops to discuss the world. These are places where the banter can be barbed and the truth is always telling. Barber Shop Chronicles, which was partly inspired by verbatim recordings, is a heart-warming, hilarious and insightful play that leaps from a barber shop in Peckham to Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos and Accra over the course of a single day. It was first produced by the National Theatre, Fuel and Leeds Playhouse in 2017 and is here publishedas a Methuen Drama Student Edition with commentary and notes by Oladipo Agboluaje.