MANSFIELD — Change and growth is never easy.
Perhaps one of the most challenging human experiences is self-reflection. It’s hard work to grow your understanding of who you are, what your values are, and why you think and act the way you do.
Especially when it comes to race in America. The killing of George Floyd and subsequent protests in May and through the summer precipitated a national American reckoning on topics of racial injustice.
It’s an onerous task that requires difficult, sometimes uncomfortable conversation. But in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”
A group of Mansfielders took those first steps toward change when they agreed to participate in “Shop Talk,” a series of conversations about race and reconciliation in the Mansfield community.
Created by Damien Beauford, owner of 419 Barbershop, the goal of “Shop Talk” was open, honest discussion between the participants seated in the barber chairs.
“The point of these discussions was to bridge the gaps that exist between races, ages, socio-economic status and bring awareness of all viewpoints in order to unify, rather than divide,” Beauford said. “I wanted to give people a chance to walk away from the encounters with respect and understanding they previously lacked.”
On Sunday, May 31 — the day after Mansfield’s Black Lives Matter protest — the very first edition of “Shop Talk” took place at 419 Barbershop, located at 1367 Park Ave. West. In the following weeks, these conversations were replicated again and again as “Shop Talk” continued as an ongoing video series.
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The first series of emotionally-charged conversations moderated by Richland Source managing editor Larry Phillips came less than two days after Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by White police officer Garrett Rolfe after a routine sobriety check in Atlanta.
Guests include college football coach Reggie Gamble, entrepreneur and barber Sarah Leonhardt, pastor Micah Pelkey, pastor Tom Roepke, social impact strategist Cheryl Cates, project planner Elijah Torrence, Richland Source publisher Jay Allred, and barber Khyyam Crawford.
419 Barbershop has partnered with Richland Source, Mankind Murals Inc. and DRM Productions to bring “Shop Talk” to life.
Richland Source editors moderated the discussions using solutions journalism principles to complicate the narratives and give space for understanding and nuance.
In the coming weeks, Richland Source will continue to share “Shop Talk” conversations on the topics of motherhood, education, and finding solutions to the racial divides in American society and our own communities.
On a personal note, the organizers of this series are so very grateful and humbled by the courage and care each participant brought to their chair in the barber shop. We’ve seen every episode multiple times, and we remain awed by your honesty, your empathy, and your power. Thank you.