How Black barbers bring mental health care to the styling chair, one client at a time

HAIRitage barbershop is part of the Confess Project of America barber coalition, which trains and helps Black haircare and other workers to help be mental health advocates for Black men, boys and their families. Photos: Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee/TNS

Brothers Marichal and Rodney Brown follow in their father’s footsteps at their HAIRitage barbershop on Sacramento’s Broadway in California, the United States.

Earlie D. Brown was a certified master barber in their Bay Area hometown who counted San Francisco Giants’ players among his clientele – he even named son Marichal for family hero and Giants’ Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal.