About this ebook
There's something about a fresh haircut that can change a Black man's outlook on the world, change his outlook on himself. The experience extends beyond just the cut but to the environment of the barber shop. Growing up, getting a hair cut was a weekly event Antonio M. Johnson looked forward to more than anything. His uncle Jason was a barber and embodied everything cool. There in that tilted chair, under the hand of his uncle, surrounded by members of his community and totems of a shared experience, Johnson felt safe—felt like anything was possible. Over the years, he came to understand that barber shops are more than places simply to get a cut. They are about the only spaces in American life created where Black men can speak and receive feedback about who we are, who we want to be, and what we believe to be true about the world around us. The interpretation of the barber shop as community center falls short of capturing what they really are for so many Black men: sanctuaries in a hostile land. You Next is an intimate photographic exploration of the ways Black barber shops operate as sites for the cultivation of Black male identity and wellness in major US cities—Gary, Indiana; Washington DC; New York City; Oakland; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Detroit; New Orleans; Montgomery; Memphis, and Johnson's hometown of Philadelphia. These photos, interviews, and essays tell the full story of the Black barber shop in America. "You next" is what a barber says to customers to communicate that they're on deck for a haircut; it's the question between customers to determine where they are in line. Thus, it is an invitation, an invocation, an affirmation. Because after waiting your turn in a barber shop, sharing, laughing, debating, those magic words signify you are about to be transformed.
There's something about a fresh haircut that can change a Black man's outlook on the world, change his outlook on himself. The experience extends beyond just the cut but to the environment of the barber shop. Growing up, getting a hair cut was a weekly event Antonio M. Johnson looked forward to m...
Discover more
About the author
Antonio M. Johnson is an emerging visual artist whose primary medium is photography. He has earned a reputation for capturing scenes that communicate the complex beauty of urban spaces and everyday people. Antonio was raised in West Philadelphia and educated at Morgan State University, a historically black college in Baltimore. Today, he calls Atlanta home.
Antonio M. Johnson is an emerging visual artist whose primary medium is photography. He has earned a reputation for capturing scenes that communicate the complex beauty of urban spaces and everyday people. Antonio was raised in West Philadelphia and educated at Morgan State University, a historic...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
