Geographies of Resilient Social Networks: The Role of African American Barbershops

This study examines the geographic reach of the African American barbershop, a neighborhood institution that is commonly acknowledged as important, yet whose significance is often overlooked. Data were gathered regarding the residential location of clienteles for two barbershops in the inner suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, a city with a history of racial segregation. Plotting this information on maps of the area revealed that many customers travel to these shops from well outside the neighborhood. The significance of the spatial extent of the shops' communities is contextualized with in-depth interviews and ethnographic research on life inside the businesses. In light of urban and inner-suburban decline in metropolitan St. Louis, this research strengthens the case for the importance of such informal institutions for understanding the resilience of the African American community in the face of the reproduction of racialized social geographies.