When Milton Massaquoi arrived at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls as a first-year student, he struggled to find a barbershop that knew how to cut and style his hair.
Massaquoi, a senior computer science major from Blaine, Minn., is Black, and most barbers aren’t trained to cut and style the hair of Black people. Local options are limited, and prices are often above the budget for college students.
“I didn’t really feel like I had a good haircut option here in River Falls,” Massaquoi said. “For students of color, that’s how it was.”
That situation has changed, thanks to an effort started by the UWRF Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) Office in spring 2023. Since then, DIB has offered monthly haircuts on campus during the academic year for free, staffed by barbers trained to cut hair for people of color and others. The program is open to all UWRF students.
During February’s DIB Student Free Haircuts session, Massaquoi was among 33 students who had their hair cut or styled during the day.
“This is a really great service that we have right here on campus,” Massaquoi said after his hair was styled. “It helps everybody out. And these barbers are really good at what they do.”
As his hair was styled, Massaquoi chatted about football with his barber, Chris Flores, who works at Chip’s Barbershop in Eau Claire. Barbers from Chip’s and Eau Claire’s Atmosphere Parlour & Quarters staffed Wednesday’s haircutting session.
Nearby, Jeaning Goetch, who owns Eclipse Salon and JC Hair Magic in Eau Claire and cuts and styles hair at Atmosphere Parlour & Quarters, chatted with a female student whose hair she was trimming.
“You’ve got some curl in here, girl. We can play with that,” Goetch told the student. “I’m going to cut it so you can have that body in your hair but not have to spend a lot of time on it.”
Having their hair cut and styled by someone who knows about different hair types is important to students, Goetch said. “For a lot of students of color, it’s important for them to see someone who looks like them and understands their hair type,” said Goetch, who is Black.
DIB Director Princess Kent said including barbers with proper training to cut all styles of hair, including that of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), is important.
“The stylists we bring in have the expertise and training to cut all kinds of hair,” Kent said. “Doing this makes sure that people have that confidence when they walk out of here that they have a good haircut and hairstyle.”
UWRF student Brady Sindelir, a senior marketing communications major from Lakeville, Minn., praised the haircut he received Wednesday. After his trim he played a trivia game at the haircut event and talked with Kent.
“This was a great experience and I’m really glad that these haircuts are offered here,” he said.
Goetch and other barbers staffing Wednesday’s event said in addition to interacting with students, they enjoy cutting and styling students’ hair for another reason: the haircuts are free.
“A lot of college students don’t have much money. They may not have a car and be able to drive somewhere to get their hair cut,” said Caleb Schwab, a barber at Chip’s Barbershop who cut and styled UWRF students’ hair. “You can see the students’ enjoyment when they grab the mirror and look at themselves. They look good and that makes them feel good. To help these students in that way, the feeling it gives you, it’s unmatched.”
