Neighborhood Barbershop Has Been An Institution In Woodlawn For More Than 60 Years

The Woodlawn community recently celebrated the unveiling of the honorary Coleman Brothers Way, which commemorated Coleman Brothers Barbershop being on 68th and Stony Island for more than 60 years. PHOTO BY ERIKA BRACEY PHOTOGRAPHY.
The Woodlawn community recently celebrated the unveiling of the honorary Coleman Brothers Way, which commemorated Coleman Brothers Barbershop being on 68th and Stony Island for more than 60 years. PHOTO BY ERIKA BRACEY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Neighborhood Barbershop Has Been An Institution In Woodlawn For More Than 60 Years

By Tia Carol Jones

The Coleman Brothers Barbershop has been located at 68th and Stony Island in Woodlawn since 1963. The community recently celebrated the milestone by dedicating the street Coleman Brothers Way.

Wheeler Coleman’s father, James, was one of eight brothers and one sister who grew up in Alabama. Five of the brothers came to Chicago during the 1950s and opened their own establishments in Woodlawn. One brother opened a lounge, one opened a liquor store, another brother opened a barbershop and James and Richard opened Coleman Brothers barbershop.

“It’s rare for African American businesses, no matter what industry to exist for 60-plus years. When I reflect on that, I think that it had a lot to do with the individuals that were running this establishment,” Coleman said.

Working in the public and being able to relate and interact with people from all walks of life, while treating those people with dignity and respect, was something James and Richard did very well. The barbershop was spared during the riots that took place after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death in the late 1960s because of the respect people in the community had for the Coleman brothers.

Coleman said it was surreal to attend the street sign dedication for his father and uncle’s barbershop. He said the fact that “two farm boys from the deep south” coming to Chicago establishing a business and impacting the lives of men, women, their kids, their grandkids and to be recognized by the city and the community means a lot to him. Coleman knows the importance of having a positive impact on the community and he wants to be able to continue what his father and his uncle were able to do with the barbershop. He wants other people to be committed to doing the same. Coleman also wants people to figure out how to support African American companies that survive the five-year mark and beyond, because not only is it rare, but it is also, the time when those businesses need the most support.

“We’ve got to find a way to patronize our businesses, because what little income is generated by us patronizing those businesses, are used to elevate others, to put their kids through school, to put food on their table and to provide jobs for the community,” he said.

Even today, Coleman Brothers Barbershop is providing a place where five barbers can go to work and feed their families, clothe their families and put a roof over their heads. He wants to see Black people continue to support Black owned businesses and continue to circulate dollars within the community. He said that continuing to support Black owned businesses and circulate dollars in the Black community will feed, grow and develop the people in the community and possibly create generational wealth for Black people.

"The Coleman Brothers Barbershop has been a beacon of hope and resilience in Woodlawn,” Fifth Ward Alderman Desmon C. Yancy said in a release. “Their dedication to uplifting the community and fostering a sense of belonging is truly commendable … We celebrate their enduring legacy and the positive influence they have had on countless lives."

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