CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Willis Draughn Jr. was a senior in high school, he developed a business plan that came to fruition at 1610 Ashley Road in west Charlotte.
“I took my time every day, and I started drawing up this plan called Master Kutz,” he said.
The Ashley Road location is where the west Charlotte native opened Master Kutz Barbershop in 2003.
“We find out who you are by cutting hair," Draughn said. "As we are able to touch the crowns of kids, youth, men, women, you can really find the truth about a person."
Draughn said his purpose was to uplift his community. So, in 2018, he started the nonprofit Be You Be Great.
The organization is committed to fostering positive change through a diverse range of impactful programs, including giving people jobs.
“Seventy-five percent of the barbers here have been incarcerated," Draughn explained. "The majority of our clientele is right here on the west side of Charlotte. We are community based, and we deal with what they would consider trouble. I wouldn’t say they are trouble, I would say they are misguided."
However, he said the outreach doesn’t stop there.
“The 77 seniors that were just homeless last year at Magnolia Apartments, [we helped them] find places to live and move,” Draughn said.
Be You Be Great provides free fitness classes and shows people healthier eating options. The nonprofit also has a boxing program for young people and even helps people in the community navigate the housing market.
“Knowledge is power," Realtor and volunteer for Be You Be Great Shana Harris said. "I think that, with homebuying, especially when you are talking to a community, some people are getting pushed out. If we can get into a generation that doesn’t know and that we can educate them, then that’s going directly impact the youth that’s under that same building."
Draughn said most of his efforts are made possible through partnerships, however, he it’s partially self-funded.
“With the proper funding, we can stop a lot of these murders," Draughn said. "We can stop a lot of this violence. We can stop a lot of this lack of knowledge."
Draughn said the next plan is focus on mental health.
Contact Nick Sturdivant at nsturdiva1@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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