A Virtual Haircut

Have you ever known of a leading light that could touch more than just one demographic such as African Americans, Latin Americans, the growing boxing community, women who want to be heard, inner city communities, other aspiring entrepreneurs, students with identified disabilities, and even high school athletes? Let me set the stage before I give thanks to a man who played such an impelling role in my early recovery and continues to “until this day”, as the former heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder would say.

I can remember arriving to a halfway house in little ole Brunswick, GA that would eventually change my life for the better on May 24th, 2016. I was the only African American in the house, surrounded by all white folks. I became close with a good majority of them, but it still felt like I was missing something. Where was the soul? I needed a warmth that I could only get from being around other black people. Oh, and I also was in desperate need of a haircut. Long-story short, once I saved up some money, I was able to start going to the barbershop up the street just about every week. Growing up I always looked at this place as a gathering for minorities. The old heads would always try to school the youngins on their history, the self-made lunch lady was popping her head in to see if anyone needed a hot plate for an affordable price, the music was just loud enough to where you could still conversate, and there was always that one barber that was deemed as the comedian. I would go as far as to say that the barbershop is a primary element of African American culture.

Nearing the end of 2016, I had finally earned cell phone privileges due to my amount of time in sobriety and good behavior. I was excited because this meant that I could start following the sport of boxing more closely. It had been difficult to do so leading up to this point because there was only one T.V. in a house that had to be shared by a group of like 22 guys! Needless to say, I rarely had the opportunity to watch boxing bouts. I started browsing YouTube in hopes of finding a solid content creator who kept up with the contemporary issues in the sweet science (boxing). This is when I came across a Fredrick Hawthorne’s channel called, Barbershop Conversations. Not only does he talk about various boxing matters, but you will never leave his channel without learning something about the world we live in. Listening to Barbershop Conversations became a coping skill in my life as well as the fuel I needed to sustain my recovery on those days when 12 step meetings weren’t feeding my spirit. I have been subscribed to the channel ever since. He has gone from making videos on his phone while driving, to hosting a podcast/show just about every other day now. It would be discourteous if I did not mention some of Fredrick Hawthorne’s other credentials such as: published author of three books, property investor, 4-time award winning educator, certified speed agility & quickness trainer, philanthropist in the inner-city communities of California, and a 2-time award winning teacher of the year. The crazy part is the list goes on!

The way Fred carries himself today, you would have never known what he went through in order to obtain the success that he has now. He was working at Mid Valley Learning Center in Baldwin Park making $28,000 a year, which is peanuts when you are living in California. Fred was not able to get approved for an apartment during this time leading him to a 2-year stint of homelessness. This also meant that his vehicle had to be used for transportation and a place of residence. Now let us talk about integrity really quick. He still managed to donate clothes to children, volunteer at local soup kitchens, run marathons for charities, and train basketball players on the side. All while living out of a car! Years went on and after being laid off from his dream job as a schoolteacher at a high school in Duarte, California, Fred realized that he needed to gain ownership of his own time. As faith would have it, he just so happened to start training the son of American businessman, Mitchell Julis, who showed him the ins and outs of the stock market. The domino effect continued when Fred’s networking abilities connected him to a friend that showed him how to earn passive income by investing in property. His resilience has led him to create a social platform where he has had the privilege of interviewing top boxing prospects, former & current world champions, Compton Mayor Aja Brown, boxing promoter Bob Arum, several other professional athletes, and even Undercover Billionaire star Monique Idlett. Once again, the list goes on!

Fredrick Hawthorne would most likely tell you that beyond anything else he is a father first. He has two children that he talks about constantly and is an advocate against all negative stigmas attached to black fatherhood. Do you recall a horrific incident that happened early November of 2020 that involved a father arriving to his Las Vegas home only to find his two daughters cold and unresponsive? Well, the father’s name is Jaykwon Singleton. His partner, Amanda-Sharp Jefferson, was later charged with tow counts of open murder. With the help of his production team Fred was able to get Jaykwon on Barbershop Conversations. This was an opportunity for the young man to vent and share a heartfelt message to all that were listening. During this episode, Fred announced a donation for Jaykwon through a mobile payment app to provide the young man with financial comfort as he transitions to a new phase of his life. This is just one of the many examples that shows what type a man Fredrick Hawthorne really is.

Lastly, I want people to know that Fred is a man that I have never met face to face before. I have called into the show but that is about it. I know all the information listed above because I have been a loyal subscriber of Barbershop Conversations for about 5 years now! Like an in-person barbershop, when that LIVE notification pops up in my feed and I enter the chat it is almost like I am surrounded by family. We fuss, we laugh, and we do not always agree. This is the true essence of a barbershop, freedom to speak our mind! I start to grin when I hear the intro song come on and you can hear a lady singing, “Cause the devil is a lie Aye! I’m telling you the truth Aye! It’s all in what you do Aye Aye! Somethings you gotta prove Aye Aye Aye Aye!” This show has been a significant part of my recovery journey thus far. Anyone who knows me will tell you that one of my dreams is to become a world class boxer. When I tried to box early on in life it was evident that drugs were placed higher on my priority list. Now that I have moved back to Atlanta it is time that I continue where I left off... minus the drugs of course. I am finally lacing the gloves back up. I want to thank Fred for keeping boxing on my mind along with the countless number of golden nuggets I have picked up in the shop. I hope to be interviewed on Barbershop Conversations one day as a boxing prospect but there is a lot of work that still needs to be done on my end. This is my way of honoring black excellence within the community and as Fredrick Hawthorne would say, “Love is the word!” Peace.