We're firm believers that having (and loving) beauty in our lives (and the conversation around beauty) isn't all hairspray and hair color. There's a legit power beauty movement happening right now—and one we're proud to be a part of. We also love spotting individuals who are helping further that same conversation. Enter barber Ryan Griffin, who, in an effort to encourage kids to read and learn, offer discount haircuts at his Fuller Cut Barbershop to (adorable) kids willing to read while he gets to work with his shears. Slow clap, right? This guy, you guys, is awesome.
The way it works at Fuller Cut, which is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, is that if kids who visit Griffin’s shop read during their appointments, either the parent saves two dollars—or the lucky kid receives two dollars. Smart, yes? However, Griffin admitted that the idea wasn't his own. "I first read about barbers in Harlem, Tampa, and Iowa doing this and it hit me like a book,” Griffin told BuzzFeed News.
Meet the Brooklyn Barber Whose Chair Is for Everyone (via GQ):
But it's not like the barber keeps any random books on hand (not that that would be a bad thing, because any reading is a good thing). Amidst the plethora of kid-friendly faves he has are titles like "Big Hair Don't Care," so when black children come to have their hair done, "they know that their big hair is beautiful and that they are beautiful." So not only are Griffin and his team at Fuller Cut educating kids (and the parents who bring their children to see Griffin), they're specifically educating everyone around them on image-related issues the black community faces when it comes to hair. (Reminders about the inequalities the black community faces when it comes to their hair are here, here and here, to start.) The whole operation at Fuller Cut, frankly, is nothing short of brilliant.
"Our kids are fighting an image war... it's important that we have something to counter that," he said. "We can get these babies to love themselves. You don't have to have a ton of money, you don't have to do something grand, but just do something [to help]."
I couldn't believe how humble the Fuller Cut team was when I personally reached out on Facebook. Their first words (besides the requisite "Hi Rachel")? "Wow!" And I just couldn't help but love that geniune excitement to be given another platform. Any time I can help support those changing and moving the conversation around culture and beauty, I consider that a career win.
We've reached out to the Fuller Cut Team for further comment plus how you can help and will update this post as soon as we hear back. In the mean time, check out these INSANELY cute photos Fuller Cut kindly allowed us to share.
— with additional reporting by Brianna Wiest
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