Matthews, Henry
St. Joseph News-Press November 13, 2002. In Henry's barbershop, all points of view were welcomed was written by Alonzo Weston. Like Ebony and Jet magazine, you got the news that mattered to black folks in the old Messanie Street barbershop. People came in with stories from Milton Bundy's tavern, Bunker's, Teen Town, and the other Messanie street bars and establishments. They delivered stories that never made it to the city newspaper. Henry only cut hair one way. An Afro cut looked about the same as a razor trim or an Ivy League cut. He cut everything short and lined it with a razor. Men played checkers while waiting for their turns in the chair. No one ever fought in Henry's or cursed. Signs on the wall forbade cursing. Those things never changed. You got your variety inside Henry's from the conversations of the men waiting to get a hair cut and their points of view were as different as their looks. Alonzo things that is pretty much how the black barbershop was portrayed in the movie "Barbershop". It brought out the little-known but refreshing fact that all blacks don't think the same way on issues. Part of equal rights is allowing everybody to believe however they want--even black people. Henry Matthews knew this a long time ago.
