Cutting it up about staying active

People talk to barbers about health

THE DISCUSSION WILL TAKE PLACEDURING THE REGULAR COUNCILMEETING.YOU WOULD EXPECT TO TALK ABOUTYOUR HEALTH WITH YOUR DOCTOR.BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR BARBER?PEOPLE ACROSS OUR COUNTRY AREHAVING A PROBLEM KEEPING ACTIVEDURING THE PANDEMIC AND A GROUPOF BARBERS WANT TO MAKE SURETHEIR CLIENTS KEEP THAT HEARRATE UP.ALEXA LIACKO SHOWS US HOW THEYARE TEAMING UP WITH MEDICALPROFESSIONALS TO KEEP MOREPEOPLE HEALTHY DURING THEPANDEMIC.:15-:20NATS: BUZZING CLIPPERSNATS: SWEEPINGTHERE’S A COMFORTING HUM IN THEAIRA WARM PLACE TO SIT.A FRIENDLYFACE.KEVIN MCSEARS, OWNERThe barbershop has always beenlike a sanctuary for black men.DECADES OF FRIENDSHIPS GROWNWHERE CONVERSATIONS FLOW WITHEASEKEVIN MCSEARS, OWNER We learneda lot about life in thebarbershop.

You know it’s morethan just cutting hair.

Weteach.

We learn from oneanother.LESSONS KEVIN MCSEARS CARRIESWITH HIM EVERYDAYI was just told that you coualways have your own.

Don’t evbe scared of going out andtrying to get your own thing.THOSE WORDS INSPIRED HIM TO OPENTHE DOORS OF HIS OWN SHOPPIKASSO KUTZ..

There’s no pressure.

Wcommunicate.

We talk abouteverything.AND IN THE FACE OF THE PANDEMIC,HEALTH IS ONE THING KEVIN ISBRINGING UP MORE OFTEN.We just had a conversation aminute ago about that, Covid isdefinitely real, and being ablack man it’s my responsibilityto let people who don’t feelit’s real, to know it’s real.THESE MEN KNOW THE PAIN THISVIRUS CAN BRING, ESPECIALLY TOTHE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.we’ve lost people that we know.It’s affecting minorities, andon a great scale.

Unfortunately,a lot of minorities don’t havehealth insurance, or don’t havethe means to get to theirprimary physician.THAT’S WHY KEVIN IS TAKING ON ANEW RESPONSIBILITY--BRINGINGRESOURCES AND INFORMATION RIGHTTO HIS BARBERSHOP BY PARTNERINGWITH DOCTORS AT "LIVE CHAIRHEALTH."B.J.

Carson Our aim is toaddress health disparitiesamongst people of color.THE GROUP IS BUILDING A TEAM OFMEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ANDBARBERS TO ASK TOUGHQUESTIONS...AND HELP GIVEANSWERS.I’ll ask him a question about,you know, "Do you have a primaryhealth physician?

When was thelast time you had your bloodpressure checked?’ And it mightspark him to get his bloodpressure checked--he might besitting here with hypertension.So potentially, we might save alife.The barbers hope theconversations about health don’tend in these chairs, they hopeevery client that leaves theirshop will check in with aprimary care doctor and keepbetter track of their help foryears to come.B.J.: Do you have our app?

Taz:we all got it, told my clientsabout it,B.J.

Carson, Live Chair Health Ihope the difference is givingpeople those resources that wewe’ve been we haven’t been privyto.THESE MEN HOPE IN TALKING ABOUTUNDERLYING CONDITIONS, COVID-19AND THE VACCINE, THE HISTORICDISTRUST BUILT AGAINST THEHEALTHCARE SYSTEM WILL CRUMBLE.Kevin McSears, Owner We have adistrust, rightfully so.: is this the way, one person ata time in the barbershop, tofight distrust in communities?Kevin: I mean it’s one of theIt’s a way fo