DELHI PRESS
Your Community Press newspaper serving Delhi Township and other West Cincinnati neighborhoods
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020 ❚ BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS ❚ PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
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‘IT’S MORE THAN A HAIRCUT’ Black barbershops, salons talk about the importance of community
Segann March Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
During a normal week at Precision Blendz Barbershop in Mount Healthy, black men of all ages gather around for hours to talk about business, sports, fashion, race issues, health, and education in their communities. It’s a barbershop where clients go in for haircuts and leave with a mountain of knowledge. Those days are now scarce due to COVID-19 regulations and changes in how shops operate and interact with clients. Owner and barber Tommy Mays said he misses watching the older men tell their stories to inspire younger men. He said moments like these bring everyone together. “Visiting your barbershop is important because it’s a one-stop-shop,” Mays said. “It’s more than just a haircut. It’s a part of our culture. You get a whole experience coming into a barbershop and now there’s a big gap.” Many salons and barbershops are only accepting scheduled appointments now, limiting the number of people in the shop at one time. Prior to the pandemic, it was normal for clients to visit bi-weekly as opposed to every six to eight weeks. Alethia Williams, owner of Glamour Braid Salon in Westwood, said salons and barbershops will always be sacred in the black community and are safe havens. Trust is essential for both the client and stylist, she said. Oftentimes, Williams will talk with clients about their wedding anniversaries, family and work-life, and diff erent events happening in the community. “People think the black community is not professional, but we are,” Williams said. “We’re pillars of the community and we have to make sure we’re there to be an outlet for someone. Many of our clients see us as therapists.”
Alethia S. Williams, owner of the Glamour Braid Salon in Glenway Crossing Shopping Center on May 7. CARA OWSLEY/THE ENQUIRER
Bouncing back The pandemic also stifl ed these black businesses fi nancially for two months, leaving many owners scrambling to upkeep expenses while working to stay connected to individual clients. Williams said it’s going to take a lot of resources and time to bounce back from the two-month closure. She used her savings to keep things afl oat. “It’s going to take a while because you still have to pay current and past charges for your business,” Willams explained. “You still have to work to put that money back. Eight weeks is a long time with no income coming in. Just because bills are paid right now, doesn’t See BARBERSHOPS , Page 2A
Ebone Bourrage gives Myron Black a haircut at Precision Blends LLC on May 15.
Owner and barber Tommy Mays poses at Precision Blendz Barbershop in Mt. Healthy on May 12. Mays says the forced shutdown is the longest he's been away from work in more than two decades of cutting hair.
ALEX MARTIN/THE ENQUIRER
SAM GREENE/THE ENQUIRER
Sew Valley shifts production, makes thousands of masks
Sew Valley started testing and producing masks in mid-April after closing in March. The non-profi t organization adapted to make masks in response to the coronavirus.
Contact The Press
Amy Siler sews a double layer woven cotton mask at Sew Valley in the West End on May 20. The non-profi t organization has made approximately 3,000 masks in response to the coronavirus.
News: 513-903-6027 Retail advertising: 768-8404, Classified advertising: 242-4000, Delivery: 513-853-6277.
The team at Sew Valley assembles masks in West End on May 20. Sew Valley is now hiring sewers, pattern makers and technicians to keep up with the demand for masks. PHOTOS BY MEG VOGEL/THE ENQUIRER
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