Cutting Comments From the Crowd

Irvin's Barber Shop on King Boulevard in Leimert Park has been around for 50 years.

Conversation is ricocheting around the room, although everyone present has one eye on the television. The scene is akin to the family room in many homes, save for the constant buzz of hair clippers.

We are in Irvin's Barber Shop on King Boulevard in the Leimert Park district of South Los Angeles.

The place came into being 50 years ago, when Irvin Glamin launched a business that would survive, thrive, and grow into place for community in Leimert Park. Photos of patrons, sports figures, and historical events adorn the walls. The omnipresent television serves as a lightning rod for conversation. Patrons provide the entertainment, talking about everything and each other.

Carl Wilkins, the proprietor for the past 19 years, sculpts the hair of a customer. The barber's focus never leaves the scalp of his charge while he doubles as maestro of the atmosphere of the room, contributing timely comments or opinions that maintain the flow of conversation.

Wilkins pauses to reflect on his 30 years at the barbershop.

"I am on my third generation of men as customers," he says. "Kids that were nine when I came here are 39 now. I am doing their children's hair now...and their father's hair...and in some case their grandfathers. So this has been a place in the community for different generations to meet."

A fellow named Vernal, a longtime Irvin's patron, echoes that thought.

"The barbershop is the best place to be informed about what is happening in the community," he says.

Indeed, conversations sprout in every corner. An 'old school' father snorts about his son taking a break from college.

"Taking a break, my foot," the man says. "I told him, 'You dropped out.'"

In another corner, several men wonder if missing the cut in the British Open is an indicator of what to expect in the future from Tiger Woods.

A couple of chairs away, two men shake their heads in amusement, digesting the latest trend in pet care: Dog Hotels.

More serious conversations center on politics, the economy, and the state of the Los Angeles school system. Support for recent government decisions, evenly balanced not long ago, has begun to shift.

"Opinions about our leadership used to be both pro and con, but now, it is mostly con," says Wilkins. "People feel that things should have been done better. They feel that politicians are not doing what they could do.

Leimert Park counts high numbers of city, county, and state employees — and educational achievement has always been important to its residents. Comments and opinions at Irvin's' reflect that tradition.

"They are not putting money into the right places," says Vernal, talking about today's politicians. "Look at our schools — look around at schools in other counties. They put money into them. But here In Los Angeles, in most cases, they have not put money into these schools since they were built."

Voicing concerns about their kids provides a respite from other troubles in their midst. While waiting for their turn at the barber's chair, many hear of the plights of friends and acquaintances — folks who haven't been around the shop in some time. In many cases, it turns out, the familiar faces have gone missing from the barbershop because they felt the blade of the government budget ax as their jobs were cut.

The steady buzz of conversation doesn't mean that Irvin's is immune from the recession.

"It is a domino effect," Wilkins says. "What I do for people is a luxury, not a necessity. People can put off or just not get a haircut. My business has dropped off 20%. People who came once a week now come twice a month. People who came twice a month come only come once a month. Some are doing their own hair; their wives are touching up their necks in order to hold off. My business is 90% repeat business. What happens to my customers impacts me. 10% of my customers have lost their jobs and homes. They had state, city or construction jobs."

So what's a barber to do?

"I've had to cut back on many things and be conscious of what I do," Wilkins says. "For instance, when I run errands, I make certain that I have everything in order so I don't have to double back and consume gas. As far as luxuries, I do not go out to dinner on a regular basis. So, yes, it has affected my way of life."

Wilkins is the maestro of the room — so what does he see in the future?

"You know what they say — you have to wait it out," he says. "The question is if you can. Some people can't. I do not know if things will get better. Things just change, and you have to make adjustments. There are people who prepared for retirement. They worked and saved. But their retirement income does not meet with expenses today because things have changed."

Wilkins does have one edge, though, because there are benefits to serving as a place of common ground for the community.

"People have to cut back on haircuts, but they probably need to come here more now for the family atmosphere," Wilkins says. "I will be here — I have not heard of a machine yet that can cut hair."

Walter Melton is a writer for the L.A. Garment & Citizen.

Visit Walter Melton's blog at www.scribeskidrow.blogspot.com.

Photos by Walter Melton