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A fresh haircut can boost confidence. But inside a Kansas City barbershop, the goal is to give young men something that lasts long after they leave the chair.
The Talk KC is taking barbershop culture beyond the haircut, using mentorship, literacy, and honest conversations to help Black and Brown boys navigate growing up.
The monthly empowerment program serves boys in grades six through 12, with a focus on younger adolescents in grades six through eight. It transforms the traditional idea of "The Talk" from a one-time conversation into an ongoing dialogue about identity, purpose, mental health, and manhood.
For Ritchie Cherry, The Talk KC's family and community engagement director, the barbershop has always represented something deeper.
"The Barbershop for me is like that sacred place that you can go to and really just be yourself," Cherry said.
That sense of safety and belonging is what the program hopes to recreate for the next generation.
Founder and Executive Director Tay Neal says the program uses a multi-generational mentorship model to make sure every boy has men he can turn to for guidance.
"We use a multi-generational model. So, our mentees are called nephews, and they get three mentors. They get a big bro, they get a unc, and they get a OG," Neal said.
The relationships are designed to provide consistent support from men who can share their experiences, offer guidance and help the boys work through real-life challenges.
The program also incorporates free haircuts, hot meals, culturally relevant reading materials, literacy activities and access to therapists.
Neal says the conversations go beyond traditional mentorship, addressing topics such as emotional well-being, financial literacy, leadership and even artificial intelligence.
The goal is to close what he sees as a growing gap between generations.
For eighth grader Gabriel Davis, those relationships are already making an impression.
"I love it, honestly. I mean, I found a lot of brothers here, and recently I just been feeling like I been having a closer brotherhood with people around me. And I'm very thankful for them," Davis said.
One of the program's biggest goals is helping boys understand that strength and vulnerability can exist together.
For Davis, that means knowing it's OK to express emotions and talk about difficult feelings.
"It's OK to be soft. And not soft, like, oh, I'm a punk. But soft like I can tell people how I'm feeling and let them know it's ok to show a little soft skin," Davis said. "And let people know that aye, it's OK to be sad; it's OK to feel some type of way because you have men that understand that and are able to be here and help you out."
It's a lesson Cherry says is just as important as the confidence that comes with a fresh haircut.
"We want to instill confidence in these young men. Not just from a physical haircut but just by the words we speak, by the values we're instilling in these young men," Cherry said. "We want them to go out into this world and feel like they can conquer it."
For Cherry, the barbershop is an opportunity to reach young men who may not always have someone encouraging them to recognize their potential.
He believes barbers and mentors can play an important role in creating spaces where boys feel comfortable opening up and being heard.
For Davis, the impact is about knowing he has people standing beside him, even if they aren't related by blood.
"I got family by my side. That's not blood but family as a bond," Davis said.
And that's the kind of connection The Talk KC hopes will last well beyond its monthly gatherings.
Neal and his team want the boys to grow into emotionally intelligent, confident and purpose-driven men who will eventually become mentors themselves.
Because while a haircut might bring a young man through the door, the relationships built inside the barbershop could help shape the man he becomes.
