LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Six years ago, while sitting at the barbershop, C.J. Carter of Louisville had an idea.
“The former youth services coordinator of Newberg Middle School was a patron of our barber shop, and me and him started having a conversation of how cool it would be to have a barbershop in the school,” Mr. Carter said on Monday.
Now, Carter’s dream is a reality inside two of Kentucky’s schools, as the barbershop at Tates Creek Middle School is open for business.
“This is amazing. Other schools don’t have this, but we do,” said student Eli Hamilton after being the very first “customer.”
For Carter and barber Nicolas Petitfrere, this is about much more than a haircut, and that’s why Tates Creek officials and district leadership jumped at the opportunity.
“This is an opportunity to mentor young men and touch them in a place like this, a barbershop, which is a safe space,” Carter said.
Carter talked about his barbershop in Louisville being in one of the more dangerous parts of the city, which made a visit to the barbershop an escape of sorts. Kids, even in low-crime areas, can also use that type of escape and camaraderie.
“Kids have different stories and different backgrounds so a lot of time you don't know what they're going through,” said Petitfrere. “At my shop, they're not scared to say anything to me. I try to guide them in a positive way,” he added.
Petitfrere knows many of the kids well, serving as a bus monitor while working on his driver certification. He learned how to cut hair at a young age on the front porch of his childhood home, which is why he named his shop “The Front Porch.”
“Some of them aren't confident, but when they get a haircut, they're smiling. Look at him,” he joked, as his second student-client was in the chair with an ear-to-ear smile. “I’m 33 years old, and I’m smiling after a haircut,” he continued.
Petitfrere and Carter grew up facing many of the same challenges these kids face today. They know that the sanctity of the barbershop can lead to a mentor-type relationship with children, which can prove invaluable to them as they grow. That’s why this program is up and running.
“No matter what their situation, they'll come back and tell me if they're doing better with it if it's going right, or if it's not going right, and I’ll try to help them with it,” Petitfrere said.
“A lot of the times, they don't have access to that outside of the school setting,” Carter said before realizing that this is accessible in a school setting now, and that dream he had back in 2018 is now reality.
“It’s tangible now,” he said, which was evident by all the hair remnants on the floor and the advice that was shared during that time spent in Mr. Petitfrere’s chair.
