PoCo in BoCo: The Brooklyn Barber Academy

Today we hear from Ja’Mal Gilmore, the owner and founder of the Brooklyn Barber Academy, a full-service barbershop and salon for men, women, teens, and children in Boulder which also provides formal and informal education and mentorship opportunities for young people and aspiring and professional hair stylists.

In 2018 the landlord denied Gilmore’s lease renewal in favor of a wine bar. The situation was widely condemned as an example of gentrification and discrimination in Boulder. Gilmore had invested $70,000 of his own savings into renovating the current space prior to the lease renewal being denied. Ja’Mal was recently able to find a new location in the Holiday Neighborhood in North Boulder. A gofundme account was established to help him with the cost of moving. The new location will open on March 11th on Lee Hill and 28th streets (opposite Gateway) where Ja’Mal hopes to open a community space for young people of color to learn trade skills and feel safe and welcome. Ja’Mal Gilmore is also a DJ on KGNU’s Gospel Chime Hour and Eclipse.

PoCo in BoCo, People of Color in Boulder County, with co-hosts Nikhil Mankekar and Tracey Jones, airs on the second Monday of every month at 8.35am. Follow Nikhil on Twitter: @NikhilMankekar.

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