Whites only

[Squatch]

A "whites only" sign at a barber shop on Moss Street in Lafayette might grab your attention and take you back to the Civil Rights era.

This afternoon, a viewer called our newsroom appalled. We checked it out and found that barber Herbert Leger put the sign up Saturday morning after having to over and over again turn down customers he says he's not qualified to help.

Herbert Leger: The difference is the technique that you use and they have special technique for cutting black people's hair. Just like there's a special technique for cutting white people's hair. I don't have the training, I don't have the experience, I don't have the knowledge and the technique used in cutting black people's hair.

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Forgot the link...sorry


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[Debau2005]

1. Perhaps

He should re-phrase his sign. And maybe check the "s" at the end of white.

[Neocondriac]

2. And does'nt plan to learn how anytime soon!

[Book Lover]

3. "I just don't know and I can't possibly learn"

WTF?

[napi21]

4. Didn't this same thing happen about a year ago?

I think I remember the same situation happening in a beauty salon. Something about not being capable of cutting black hair!

[dkofos]

5. If he is just turning blacks away due to his lack of training

why not hire someone who is trained.

Probably just another RACIST asshole.

[ComerPerro]

9. And if not racist, then he sure is a freaking moron

One, for posting that sign with that phrasing, and two, for turing away tons of business.

Think about it.

If, as he alleges, he gets black people coming in requesting a haircut, who the then must turn away, so often that he has to put a sign up, then he is losing a lot of money.

[mondo joe]

25. I don't want to defend him in the least, but based on the look of his

sign I don't think he has much of a STAFF.

[FreedomAngel82]

29. Exactly

:eyes: Or why doesn't he learn how? Sounds like he's either being lazy or just a racist jerk.

[KingFlorez]

6. He could have phrased it better

On the outside a passerby wouldn't know what he meant. I understand what he's saying, but it was a bad way to say it.

[AspenRose]

7. Turning down customers "over and over again" says two things

1. There's a legitimate demand for a particular service, and
2. This businessman would rather turn them away than to find and hire someone qualified to provide said service, an investment for him that could bring in new business.

His loss. He's an idiot. And a bigot. Don't tell me he didn't realize putting out that sign would be inflammatory.

Too blinded by seeing black to not see the green.

On edit: Asian hair is usually naturally straight. Native Americans have straight hair too. A good many hispanics (not all) have straight hair. Does that mean he won't cut their hair because his sign says "whites only?"

I mean, come on.

[ComerPerro]

30. Exactly. I said the same thing

If this was such a frustration for him, and such a common occurance that he had to put up a sign to curb it, then he really is a moron for turning away thousands of dollars in business.

[Catherine Vincent]

8. He should take the sign down.

He'll have to put up with telling people he can't do it. That sign is offensive and I'm sure he knows this. He just doesn't give a damn.

[Neil Lisst]

10. cutting black hair is totally different, but ...

... but come on! The sign could say "I can't cut black hair, sorry."

The term he used gives him away.

[Catherine Vincent]

13. Instead of purchasing new alphabets for the sign, he just

dusted off the old ones and put it up.

[Deep13]

11. Isn't there a blanket prohibition on race discrimination in business?

Even if he is 100% correct, my understanding is that it is still illegal. Why not label a lunch counter as for "whites only" because the cook doesn't know how to make soul food?

[calico1]

12. Unless he is totally clueless he had to

know how the sign would be interpreted.

I do know that there are a lot of hairdressers who can only cut straight hair well. I have thick, curly hair and have had my hair ruined more than once by a hairdresser who didn't know how to cut my type of hair. I had at one time a wonderful one who specialized in cutting curly hair and Black hair. She was great. If a hairdresser doesn't feel comfortable cutting a hair type they are not used to dealing with then the right thing to do is be upfront with the customer and tell them. Looks to me like this guy just wanted an excuse for his bigoted sign. No thinking person would do something that stupid if they were not a bigot. I hope he loses lots of business.

[Laughing Mirror]

14. What about hair that is mi-black mi-white Herbert?

Is there some other technique you can try maybe? I've just got to get my hair cut and the man across the street is closed.

[TheDebbieDee]

15. As a black woman, when I enter a beauty salon for the first time,

or when I call them on the phone to schedule an appointment, the first question out of my mouth is, "Do you do black hair at this salon?"

Every (non-black) beautician is not trained or experienced in setting, styling or cutting black hair, but many black beauticians are able to set, style or cut white hair.

It's just a matter of practicality to ask if your type of hair can be serviced at the salon that you visit.

[Squatch]

17. Even as a white man, I would not want this guy cutting my hair...

his admission that he "can't cut black hair" leads me to wonder as to his overall ability to cut hair at all. Sounds like a cosmetological apprentice, and probably somebody I wouldn't want touching my scalp.

[calico1]

16. Something else..

Many Latinos for example have hair as straight as Whites do. As do many Asians. So how come not a "straight hair only" sign? This guy is old enough to have been working back when discrimination was legal. I think the poster that posted he took out his old letters is probably right.

[bunkerbuster1]

19. Why no "straight hair only" sign?

Because he doesn't want to alienate gays, silly!

[Squatch]

22. heeheehee

[Terran]

18. I'm suspicious about his explanation.

My partner is African-American, and I know a lot of African-Americans, and not one of them would *ever* entrust their hair to a white barber or a white salon--unless they already knew the individuals involved had extensive experience with Black hair. So I don't see how a whole bunch of Black men have been coming into this guy's shop sight unseen and asking to get their hair cut by him. It doesn't ring true.

[Catherine Vincent]

20. Maybe some of the ones that go in are creole and consider themsleves

to have straight her but for this bigot it's not straight enough. There's a lot of creole in Louisiana. I know, I was born near Lafayette and have family there.

edited to add: It is surprising that none of his regular customers persuaded him to put up a different message.

[Cleita]

27. If not racist in intent, this sign is surely tactless.

I'm sure there was another way of putting it, if true, like "Not trained to cut African American hair," or something like that.

[AspenRose]

28. Very true

Most people don't realize that black hair, like skin tone, is on a continuum.

It's not all the same, but is varied even within the "definition" of what "black hair" is. (Bone straight, curly, kinky, wavy, nappy, etc.) And it isn't unusual to have two different textures on the same head.

[skypilot]

33. Two different textures on the same head.

Try three or four. It used to be the bane of my existence until I decided to just dreadlock it all together. Problem solved. :)

[AspenRose]

24. My hair is textured and two of the best hairstylists I ever had....

were hispanic and asian (Vietnamese). They knew their stuff....and had a RABIDLY faithful black/textured hair clientele.

But you're right; *I* (as a mixed race person) wouldn't go into a "white hair" salon sight unseen.

What's it like in the military? Do white guys in the military cut black hair all the time? If so, then perhaps that's why these alleged black customers to this particular shop thought nothing of walking in and asking for a haircut. Perhaps they were too 21st century for this shopkeeper, thinking it was no big deal to ask. Or maybe there ARE no black barbershops in this town.

Who knows. I STILL think the guy is an idiot and a bigot.

[Xithras]

21. Offensively put, but many barbershops don't cut black hair.

I see a lot of people here saying "Hire someone who can", and can only assume that those people have never been into a small town barbershop. More often than not, these are one person operations that barely make enough money to stay in business and support their owner. Hiring more employees, or shutting down for days or weeks to travel for expensive training, is almost never an option.

A sign on the door that read "We don't cut black hair", or "We cannot style tight curls" would have been better, but judging from the spelling on this sign he probably isn't too bright to start with.

[harlinchi]

23. I don't know but whites guys at Ft. Benning cut my hair, and did it...

...very quickly! Of course, they cut everyone's hair in the same way. But that was the least of my concerns then, at the beginning of basic training!

The shop owner has a point; all hair isn't the same. I suspect, however, he just enjoyed the novelty (on his part) of the sign. I'm sure he felt this way for a long time, if not since the 'white only' signs were legally displayed. How much you wanna bet he's got a Confederate battle flag displayed in his shop, house or vehicle?

[DS1]

26. Would it have been appeasing to write "Crackers Only"

:shrug:

[bleedingheart]

32. snort...

hahahaha

[onenote]

31. unlawful -- shouldn't have a license

Barbers are licensed in most states and, in many instances, the law governing such licensing includes an express "no discrimination" provision. I don't think that's the case in Louisiana, but even without such a provision, general laws prohibiting discrimination in public accomodations (and a barber shop is a public accomodation) would cover this. Personally, I think barber licensing should require an ability to cut all hair; if you can't, the state shouldn't give you a license.
onenote

[chrisau214]

34. Someone needs to send this guy a Flowbee

[newyawker99]

36. Hi chrisau214!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Tsiyu]

35. So I guess he can't cut Asian hair either?

Dumbass needs to find another line of work.

[Arkana]

37. Then maybe Mr. Leger should go back to barber school

because every barber I've ever been to has had no problem cutting anyone's hair. Racist bastard.