Episode # 76

Getting Young Black Boys to Say “I’m a Reader”: An Interview with Barbershop Books Founder, Alvin Irby

Here on the podcast, we’ve been focusing on the intentionality of this sustainable lifestyle shift. It can’t be just reading an anti-racism book once to your child and - suddenly - your child is an anti-racist forever. It has to be more than that, and it has to last longer than a month.

That’s where Barbershop Books comes in.

For those of you who may be wondering why this organization exists, it came out of an idea that its founder, Alvin Irby, had while he was getting his hair cut at his local barbershop in New York, and noticed one of his young students there. What Alvin has done is nothing short of amazing in terms of changing the trajectory of Black boys and their relationship with reading - all stemming from the barbershop, which is a Black cultural center in American neighborhoods.

We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did - and we hope you get involved with this amazing organization.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com

“Barbershops in many places are like cultural centers for black men and black families. When it comes down to the important things we do in our lives, one of the first things that families will do is go to make sure their son has a good haircut before they get a reward or go to some special event. Barbers are always there for the important moments in children’s lives, so they have this unique opportunity to really have a big influence on the lives of the children that they serve. The work that Barbershop Books is doing really leverages the cultural significance of the barbershop and the relationship that barbers have with young black boys.” - Alvin Irby

What to listen for:

The importance of helping young children identify as readers - in particular, helping young Black boys identify as readers.
Why children’s books need to have diverse children doing diverse things that interest children themselves (i.e. why they shouldn’t all be about slavery or civil rights icons).
How interest from White families spiked after George Floyd’s murder - and then leveled out over the last few months - and what White parents can do differently.
How to support Barbershop Books: https://barbershopbooks.org/about-us/
Twitter @barbershopbooks
Alvin Irby @alvinirby
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