D.C. Barbershops Host Election Chatter

Black barbershops in Washington, D.C., are functioning as informal forums where men discuss the 2026 midterm elections.

At Best Cuts Barber Shop, located across from Howard University, owner Jay Staten, 59, and customer Johnnie Battle, 48, discussed public education while Staten cut Battle’s hair. Staten has known Battle since the man was 13. Battle stated that the Department of Education will be gone soon. Staten described the situation as a mess.

These shops have long served as gathering places for political debate and community discussion. The current conversations reflect voter frustrations regarding education, voting rights, and local governance.

At Signature Barbershop, Odai Sayyad, 36, identified himself as a registered independent. Sayyad said he feels apathetic about the elections but intends to vote. He plans to research candidates to find one who will represent the people, noting that neither major party fully represents his views.

Staten at Best Cuts called the current political climate troubling times. He expressed concern over how Senate control might affect the nation’s direction and emphasized the importance of exercising voting rights.

Joseph Keller, 55, owner of Edges Barber Shop, expressed frustration with political gridlock. Keller said Democrats and Republicans are too divided to accomplish meaningful work. As an independent voter, Keller raised concerns about threats to D.C. home rule. He noted that President Richard Nixon gave the District the power to choose its mayor and council. Keller added that the current Republican president is threatening to take that power away.

The 1973 Home Rule Act granted District residents the right to elect a mayor and council while preserving congressional authority. In June, President Donald Trump suggested placing Washington under greater federal control, though repealing the Act requires congressional action. Students at Howard University documented these conversations in a video produced by Ssanyu Lukoma, a senior honors broadcast journalism major from New Jersey.