Hmmmm.

Not very subtle but I do understand his point. There is a difference in hair between whites and blacks and you do need to have the skill to properly cut hair of that type.

But definitely not subtle.

Hard to get a license if you can't cut curly or know how to conk. No excuses, ed. Unless he means the HAIR color, in which case I'm just fine with that...

Is there any follow up to this? It seems too easy for someone to put the "whites only" on the sign as a prank. I'd like to hear the barber's side of it before I fill up with indignation (which, I assure you, I will).

**** STOP BEFORE YOU POST ***

Make sure you ready the story before you jump to a slanted conclusion.

Personally, I see the original story trying to be helpful, but WizBang’s post is a distortion of the facts. It immediately presents it as a racist, hated filled picture. The guy says he is not a racist, but he does not know how to cut an black people’s hair.

Yeah, I know some will say he’s trying to conceal his true feelings. My 89 year old grandmother still calls African-American’s “colored folks”, she is a die-hard southern Democrat by the way. As much as my father tries to tell her that is isn’t politically correct now a days, it is just too set into her history for her to change her ways. She does not mean any harm or hate by saying things like that, it just tends to slip out in a nonchalant manner.

The story also ends by saying that a permanent sign is being made that doesn’t carry the “white’s only” aspect, but still gets his point across.

I read the story and I think it is crap. How hard is it to tell a black person who walks into the shop for a haircut that the barber is not really competent to cut the person's hair? The true purpose of the sign is clear, and his story is just a convenient smokescreen for having such a "restriction".

Further, does "whites only" exclude Hispansics and Asians who have hair like Caucasions? How about half-black half-white patrons whose hair is caucasion in nature? According to his sign, those patrons are not welcome, either. If he really means what he says, he's excluding a whole lot of people whose hair he IS able to cut.

He knows what he's doing.

Hmmmm.

"Hard to get a license if you can't cut curly or know how to conk."

Not a clue about that. Look the guy's 72 years old. If he wants to limit the potential success of his business, then more power to him.

What the hey. Freedom of Speech has always meant the freedom to be an ass, which this guy does seem to prove. But I still don't think it's a big deal.

If someone put up a sign saying "No half-Asians named 'ed'" I really wouldn't care less so perhaps my viewpoint is a little skewed.

Make sure you ready the story before you jump to a slanted conclusion.

Check.

Personally, I see the original story trying to be helpful, but WizBang’s post is a distortion of the facts.

Did we read the same post and linked story? The barber claims he is unqualified. But then again, he also claims to send black customers across the street. Of course, the owner of the shop across the street has never received any referrals from Leger. Then we have this gem from Leger:

People, especially your black people are not very broadminded," he says.

Yep. We're all jumping to "a slanted conclusion". Herb Leger doesn't disparage blacks, not in the least. He's a model of racial tolerance. I can't wait to see what his "permanent sign" says.

If someone put up a sign saying "No half-Asians named 'ed'" I really wouldn't care less

unless you were a half Asian named Ed.

I don't know how difficult it is for a barber trained on "white" hair to cut "black" hair, but the reverse isn't too tough, apparently. I was once in dire need and could only find one shop. Sure, 3 of the 4 barbers looked at me like I was from Mars when I walked in, but the one who was willing to take on the challenge did a great job. He said it wasn't nearly as tough as he expected it to be, and invited me back. Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to take him up on his offer. The techniques are somewhat different, but except for the finishing touches, the tools looked the same to me.

He should have stated straight hair only. No curls, no corn rows, no fros

Glad to hear you got a good cut, Brian. My brother went to a barber in Richmond (CA) who... tried. ;-) The last bad hair experience I had, I'm convinced was because the lady was accustomed to hispanic hair... the look on her face when she took the foil out of my scandinavian hair was priceless, I will admit.

He should of posted "No Pube Heads"