I lived in Detroit for more than a decade, and going to a white barber would have meant a long trip outside my neighborhood, probably to the suburbs. (Unless I wanted to pay a fortune at an overpriced shop downtown.)

When I first moved to Detroit, I wondered about my haircut. At the time, I didn’t like to go more than three or four weeks without a trim. And I didn’t know whether Black barbers would know what to do with my hair.

Foolish thought. I walked into a barbershop in northwest Detroit not long after moving and got treated not only to friendly banter and a cup of coffee, but to an excellent haircut the barber spent a lot of time on.

I never really imagined you wouldn’t be able to do the same in return — to get an excellent haircut from a white barber or stylist.

That’s a small thing, I guess, in the grander scheme, but when you think about it it’s really big.