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- Homeless Haircuts
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- Hana Baba
The movie ?Barbershop? shows how an entire community can build around the barbers chair. In the movie, elder barber Eddie played by Cedric the Entertainer tells a younger man how a tradition has been shared for generations.
[clip: ?You don?t believe in nothing. But your father, he believed in something, Kyle. He believed and understood that something as simple as a little haircut could change the way a man felt on the inside!]
That may as well be the motto of Oakland hairstylist, Kim Greene. Every Friday, Greene sets up a barber stool in a church and offers free haircuts for local homeless people. Green?s no-cost barbershop creates a strong sense of community. And, she finds, that the simple act of getting a haircut can be a life-changing experience.
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Piece Description
The movie ?Barbershop? shows how an entire community can build around the barbers chair. In the movie, elder barber Eddie played by Cedric the Entertainer tells a younger man how a tradition has been shared for generations. [clip: ?You don?t believe in nothing. But your father, he believed in something, Kyle. He believed and understood that something as simple as a little haircut could change the way a man felt on the inside!] That may as well be the motto of Oakland hairstylist, Kim Greene. Every Friday, Greene sets up a barber stool in a church and offers free haircuts for local homeless people. Green?s no-cost barbershop creates a strong sense of community. And, she finds, that the simple act of getting a haircut can be a life-changing experience.
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Anthea Raymond
Posted on July 16, 2006 at 12:39 PM | Permalink
Review of Homeless Haircuts
Three Stars
This professionally presented story of hope among the homeless would be a good cutaway or topper.
Former phlebotomist Kim Green cuts hair every Friday at New Saint Paul's church in Oakland. Her clients are the homeless who live in the park across the street
We come quickly to care about Kim and the work she does. It helps that her own story dovetails with those she helps. We see them through her.
Kim's a good talker too and likeable. Plus there's lots of nice nat sound in the traditional public radio style to build interest.
That said, I found I wanted to learn more about the park residents. Did being cleaned by Green help someone change his or her life dramatically? Maybe the answer's already there, but as a listener I kept looking for it, hoping for something dramatic.
KALW reporter Hana Baba is a solid narrator; her writing is lean, broadcast ready. Her interview with Kim Green and the resulting actualities are also good.
This piece feels slightly windy at times. Some clips could be shorter. But that's a minor and personal quibble.
Note: Reporter's tag must be redone before using.
Anthea Raymond
PRX Editorial Board
Los Angeles
July 16, 2006