Baltimore barbershop known for giving back needs community support to remain open

BALTIMORE - A barbershop known to give back to the community now seeks support from others to help repair and restore the historic building it has operated out of for nearly 24 years.

The owner of Conscious Heads Barbershop, located in the 200 block of E 25th Street, said ownership of the building came over the last year and inherited pre-existing conditions that insurance will not cover.

Corey McDaniels, known in Baltimore as Jabari Natur, said the shop is dedicated to serving distressed and disinvested communities. But in order to stay open and operate, the roof among other structures needs fixing.

"It's bigger than me," Natur said. "It's about the community."

A staple and safe haven for the youth, Conscious Heads is home to a " Barbering Bootcamp ," where over the course of six weeks, students complete an apprentice prep program that aims to teach the trade of barbering.

"One pivotal thing that's missing in the younger generation in the city is understanding that it won't happen overnight," Zion Gyenyame said. "A lot of us are looking for fast cash, fast money but it just simply doesn't work like that."

Before graduating high school, 18-year-old Gyenyame recently completed the bootcamp before moving on to become an in-house apprentice.

"Learning from the men that I'm surrounded by, the master barbers, who are also mentors for me as a young many growing up in the city," Gyenyame said.

The shop has been the face of free haircutting events across the city for children, the homeless and veterans.

Its owner also helped push for changes to a law that went into effect in 2021, which allows master barbers to now train up to three apprentices at once.

"We just want to continue to do great things in the community whether it's change laws, change lives, to continue to work with the youth," Natur said.

Natur created an online fundraiser with the goal of raising $50,000 for building repairs costs.