Terrance Newton believes that 90 percent of what he knows in life, he learned in the barbershop.
Growing up, it's where he learned how to communicate, listen to others, and respect his elders. "Of course we would have barbershop talk like sports and politics, but as far as life-wise, when I would go to the barbershop, the conversations with me and my barber were about me staying out of trouble, my grades, and what's happening in the community," Newton told Good Morning America.
When Newton became principal of Warner Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware, last year, and saw the high rate of suspensions and behavioral problems, he decided to bring the barbershop to the school. He set up an area with clippers, combs, and grooming capes, and sees kids throughout the day, doling out haircuts along with advice. "It's about building that relationship and that bond with them, and I utilize that barbershop to do that, to build connections," Newton said. It's working — at this time in 2019, there were 103 suspensions, but this year, there have only been four.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Newton first started offering students haircuts 15 years ago, as a special education teacher. When one of his students started acting out and skipping school, Newton asked him what was wrong, and learned the boy was being bullied over his haircut. Newton picked up a set of clippers and got to work. "With me just cutting his hair, I was able to build a better relationship with him, his attitude changed, he came to school more, and he was just overall a better person," he told GMA.
While he is only able to provide haircuts to boys, when a girl wants her hair done, Newton calls in a professional. Everyone gets the same one-on-one attention and can ask Newton anything. "This is not just a barbershop for me," he said. "This is my mentoring sanctuary." Catherine Garcia
-
UN panel finds Israeli genocide in GazaSpeed Read The report found that Israeli leaders had committed ‘four of the five “genocidal acts”’ prohibited under the U.N. Genocide Convention
-
Trump allies reportedly poised to buy TikTokSpeed Read Under the deal, U.S. companies would own about 80% of the company
-
September 17 editorial cartoonsCartoons Wednesday’s political cartoons include a diet of outrage, toxic rhetoric, and tank treads on states' rights
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
