Why barbershops may hold the key to African-American health

While Washington settles into its new political reality, a health-care revolution is taking shape in unexpected places — your local barbershop.As the new administration prepares to implement its health-care agenda, black barbers and salon owners are quietly solving two of America’s most persistent health-care challenges: access and trust.

And they’re doing it without a single congressional hearing or federal mandate.Here’s what most politicians and health-care executives miss: black barbershops and salons aren’t just gathering places — they’re the arteries of our communities, pumping information and trust through neighborhoods that the medical establishment has historically failed to reach.While bureaucrats debate policy in marble halls, these institutions are delivering results on Main Street.Through my company’s partnership with Walgreens and other pharmaceutical companies, I’ve witnessed something remarkable: when health-care initiatives respect the cultural power of these spaces, real change happens.

Barbers and stylists are equipped with health resources and training to connect their clients with clinical trials and essential health information.But this isn’t just about putting pamphlets in barbershops.

It’s about understanding a fundamental truth: Black Americans often trust the science – it’s the scientists they don’t necessarily support.The numbers tell a stark story: black Americans make up 13.6% of the population but only 5% of clinical trial participants.Nearly 40% report experiencing racial bias in medical settings.

No government program or campaign promise can instantly fix this trust deficit.But local barbershops and salons – pillars of community trust for generations – are bridging this gap without waiting for Washington’s permission.This isn’t a new phenomenon — it’s in our DNA.

Since the turn of the 19th century, black barbershops and salons have been more than businesses; they’ve been sanctuaries where...