Local barbershops will be giving free haircuts for students and members of the community in Sheffield SU to raise awareness for black men’s mental health.
The ‘In the Cut’ event aims to raise awareness for black men’s mental health and the role of the black barbershop as a healing space, and will be held on the 28th November from 11am-3pm.
The atmosphere of a black barbershop will be recreated with 3 local barbers from ‘Fades’ and ‘Top Chopper Hair Studio’ offering free haircuts and music and games.
Organiser Macole Lannaman, 27, said: “We’re trying to bridge the gap between black students of the University of Sheffield and the black community of Sheffield.
“Black men are sometimes not as receptive to going to see therapists and psychiatrists and the barbershop is a space where they can seek healing from situations at home, it is an abolitionist approach to healing.”
He said because many black students who have moved to Sheffield do not know the black community and do not know where to find barbers and hairdressers. He hopes this event will connect them.
Nazeer Oyeleye, 21, is a civil engineering student at the university who used to travel for 40 minutes by bus to get his hair cut because he didn’t know of any local barbers.
He said: “Every time I get a haircut from the barbers and I like the look of it it makes me feel like a new person, I enjoy going out with my hair and showing off.
“A lot of other people I know are very social with their barbers.”
Back at his home in London, Mr Oyeleye said he, his dad and brother have always all gone to the same barber and for his entire first year at university he would wait until the holidays to travel home and have his haircut.
The event coincides with men’s mental health month and is in partnership with SACHMA, a Sheffield based charity offering health and social care services to residents.
SACHMA will have a stall sharing the services they offer for the black community and inviting eventgoers to discuss mental health.
They have their own Black Barbers Project working with barbers to teach them about early mental wellbeing intervention and support them in spotting the signs of men who may not be coping as well as they could.
