Policing, Mental Health Top Issues For Black Voters In Milwaukee: Barbershop Owners Speak Out Amid RNC

Source: Bilal Morris / iOne Digital

D uring the second day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the NewsOne team decided to switch it up, leave the convention floor behind and talk with some Black voters about the important issues facing the community.

If you want to get a sense of the pulse of a city, there’s no better place to do that than a Black barbershop. Dating back to the 19th century, Black barbershops have long served the community as a hub for Black conversations while providing a safe space for Black men to gather and support each other in all aspects of manhood. Barbershops help foster a sense of community and belonging among Black folks and even sometimes serve as informal community centers. In the case of Gee’s Clippers, it’s also a medical clinic.

Gee’s Clippers , located on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Milwaukee, is a staple in the community. Garland Smith, the owner, took some time out of his busy schedule to sit down with NewsOne and discuss the important role the shop plays within the community.

“I got a health clinic here called G’s MKE Wilderness Clinic, where we assist individuals with not just their physical health, but education, furthering education, with our partnership with MATC, with housing, with food insecurities. I mean, that’s what a barbershop is supposed to be, man,” Smith told NewsOne.

Smith also says elected officials need to be seen more in places like barbershops and Black churches.

“I think the number one thing that elected officials need to do in order to truly know what’s going on and know the needs of our community is actually coming to the community, come to places where we are, you know, more churches, more barbershops,” Smith said. “You have to be present. You have to show up, and not just during election time.”

Lorenzo Davis, the owner of Zoe’s Barber Elite , looks at his shop as a healing place for the community. His shop, which is located on Fond du Lac Ave in Milwaukee, is a place where the community can express themselves when it comes to the issues they face. Davis says one of the biggest issues he believes the community faces is policing, and that not enough cops are actually from the community.

“Policing is a big thing. Just today in Milwaukee, a kid was just killed by a cop that’s not even from Wisconsin,” Davis told NewsOne. “ I think police need to live in our community.”

Smith also conveyed the same sentiment saying, “We got too many police that live outside of the city and we need to have more of a focus on training.”

Smith’s commentary came one day after Ohio police officers shot dead an unhoused Black man near the RNC.

Both barbershop owners also talked about mental health and how the lack of attention to mental health is hurting the community tremendously.

“Lack of attention to mental health is causing a lot of issues, a lot of unnecessary deaths, and police not knowing how to handle individuals with mental illness just makes this worse,” Smith said.

Davis believes Black men come to the barber to help with their mental health.

“I think it really helps black men with mental health,” Davis said. “You gotta think. They come here to talk about their kids, their wives, their jobs and what’s going on in the community. Some men might be having a rough day and when they come to the barbershop, they say hey, ‘I just needed someone to talk to.’ We’re almost like their therapists.”

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