14 GIFs That Perfectly Depict Oakland's Black Barber Shops

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“A cut is a cut, but the social aspect is almost more important than the hair.”

This work is ultimately about identity. As we've seen in recent events, America is still deeply conflicted in regard to upholding a socially constructed, fossilized identity towards black men.

In Oakland, these barbers are doing their part to foster and nurture that identity, to strengthen it with love and support. It's a proud ritual which they perform with a mindset of service at heart. There is a deep love for Oakland and its culture that comes through in how open these spaces really are. Come get a cut, or come and just be. Reflect, absorb, contribute to the conversation.