CHARLOTTE, N.C. — You hear a lot of sounds in a barbershop, but if you listen closely you just might get more than just a fresh fade. You might find the answers you’ve been searching for.
"I felt so out of whack," Christian Dodd, a junior at Queens University, said. "When I finally sat down in a barber shop chair I said oh my gosh this is what I've been missing."
The barber shop talk event at Queens University not only provided students with a free haircut but also allowed them to learn more about pressing issues happening in their community and their Black history.
"It felt good to just be an observer and listener," Ryan Byrd, a senior at the university, said.
"There was so much history and the wisdom in that room and in that barbershop," Dodd said.
"You’re just yourself and you don’t have to worry about how you sound or if your words are correct," Byrd said.
Barbers like Dexter Green have been cutting hair for more than 28 years. He said young Black men can be harder to reach mentally.
"Most of them are hesitant about opening up," Green said.
Green said when they finally do, that’s when the true bond and connection are formed.
"When I open up the door for them to just talk it just flows," Green said.
Green said the discussions flowed from topics about politics and finances to advice on shaping up life.
"It means a lot and is very powerful to be able to hold conversations with people and feel comfortable," Omari Emmanuel, a sophomore at the university, said.
"It opens us all up to be the real humans that we are," Emmanuel said.
As hair and worries were cut away, many students said they not only looked good but they felt good too.
"It really gives me a sense of confidence," Dodd said.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.