Barbershops are safe spaces for men to talk about a variety of topics: Sports, trending news, their children, politics, music, etc. Discussing mental health is also a topic that should be talked about in barbershops, and Lorenzo Lewis is on a mission to get that conversation started.
On May 19, Lewis, the founder of the Confess Project, visited Killer Mike’s SWAG Shop on Roosevelt Highway to have a mental health talk with rapper and music producer David Banner and certified life coach Justin Blu, as he travels around the world to train barbers about having mental health conversations with their clients.
Lewis told the guests that his personal experiences inspired him to launch this project.
“My mother was incarcerated when I was young, I was in a behavior treatment facility at the age of 10, and then I was incarcerated at 17,” Lewis said. “After I was released, I recognized that I had a personal journey and professional journey. My aunt owned a beauty salon, and I went to her shop every day after school. What they were doing is what we we’re doing now, and this was a form of therapy for the people in the community.”
Lewis went on to explain the services that his project provides for barbers around the world, so they can be trained on having these conversations with their clients whenever they come in.
“We cover things such as active listening, positive communication, how to reduce stigma, and how to understand what language feeds into negativity,” Lewis said. “Now, barbers have a model to follow on how they can help people get through a hard time in life.”
Blu explained why a panel like this is helpful to the community.
“This is important, especially regarding barbershops and mental health, because barbershops have such a great impact just throughout our country and in our communities,” Blu said. “Oftentimes, we underestimate the influence and impact, so being able to train barbers to some extent regarding mental health, that’s a great thing. Then also spreading awareness about mental health and resources available and just how to be greater, that’s very impactful.”
More conversations like these need to take place in barbershops, and Blu thinks the blueprint for that to happen is already in place.
“I think we’re doing it,” Blu said. “I think it’s not making it a taboo to talk about mental health and what’s going on emotionally, and events like this play a role in doing so. Social media and other forms of media are showing it’s OK to express yourself, to have problems. It’s OK to say there’s something wrong with you at times. That removes the stigma around it.”
