“We’re in such a hard point right now here in Chicago, with everything that’s been going on,” said Dennis, who tries to catch up with McDonald every time he’s in the area. ![]() He instead relies on donations from the public via PayPal, CashApp and Zelle at residents like Dennis Plummer, McDonald’s services are a blessing. The Police Department’s Englewood (7th) District has invited McDonald out to community events, as well.Īs a rule, McDonald never accepts tips from the people he serves. Helping local residents has led McDonald to other people and organizations serving the community, like “Chef Mike” Airhart, who travels across the city feeding people experiencing homelessness. Whether it’s a young father down on his luck, or a septuagenarian looking for a little conversation, McDonald provides a listening ear and an encouraging word to his clients. Which is why the work McDonald does is so important. From the tips of our heads to the soles of our shoes, how we present ourselves to the world can make or break us. Something as simple as a shape-up can be transformative for people who can’t often afford the service, with a fresh cut boosting self esteem. The act of setting up shop in a public square encourages community and renders visible people often ignored by society. Historically, Black barbershops have provided spaces for Black men to fellowship with one another, and barbers have been part confidante, part therapist to generations. ![]() Occasionally, other good Samaritans join him, like a young Larry Barber College student who wanted to offer her skills to the cause. Most days he can be found fading up Englewood residents young and old on the the corner of 63rd and Halsted. McDonald travels all over the city with his chair and clippers, looking for spots where he can set up and cut peoples’ hair for free. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago David McDonald lines up Bruce Lee of Englewood for free near 63rd and Halsted streets on March 21, 2021. “I just drove and found that street, and set up right there and started cutting hair,” McDonald said. As it turns out, the threats of danger were exaggerated. Off to Englewood he went, looking to help people. Don’t go there,'” he said.įor outsiders, the South Side is synonymous with murder and mayhem, due in part to a media that pushes that narrative. ‘What are you doing? OK, but whatever you do, don’t go to the South Side. When McDonald made a video to announce the family’s move, some of his friends and family were incredulous. His wife liked the idea McDonald was hesitant but eventually came around. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago David McDonald packs up his barber kit after giving free haircuts in Englewood near 63rd and Halsted streets on March 21, 2021. McDonald, a native New Yorker, closed his West Palm Beach space in 2018 and moved to Lake County, Illinois, with his wife, setting up shop there. How did the pastor know about the conversations he and his wife had been having about moving out of state? McDonald thought. “Then he goes, ‘For some reason I’m seeing a connection in the Midwest, in the Chicago area.'”īefore hanging up, the pastor told McDonald to talk to his wife, saying God had already “dealt with her” about the move. ![]() “I’m on the phone with him and he tells me, ‘I see God replanting you,’ and I’m thinking, ‘OK, that’s pretty accurate because we were in the middle of changing churches,'” McDonald said. He sought counsel from a family friend, a Mississippi pastor who confirmed everything that voice had been telling him. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago Sunlight glints off of David McDonald’s barber kit as he lines up members of the Englewood community for free near 63rd and Halsted streets on March 21, 2021. He now drives around, giving out haircuts to anyone in need, though he can most frequently be found in the heart of Englewood.ĭavid McDonald had spent nearly 20 years as a barber, lining up everyone from star athletes to army colonels before he heard the voice, imploring him to take his talents elsewhere. That is what brought one man 1,400 miles away from the sun-kissed sands of West Palm Beach, Florida, to Chicago in 2019. ENGLEWOOD - The “voice” - that nagging feeling that is seemingly impossible to ignore, a feeling that leads you to a higher purpose.
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