{"id":4717,"date":"2022-04-14T15:10:07","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T15:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=4717"},"modified":"2022-04-14T15:10:07","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T15:10:07","slug":"robin-sulier-charneys-black-barbershop-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/14\/robin-sulier-charneys-black-barbershop-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"Robin Sulier-Charney\u2019s Black Barbershop Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Marcus Temple, Jamal Grant, Shinaul Jones, EleSondra DeRomano, John Jones – photo courtesy Jennifer Beachy and Carlos Washington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Fletcher Word<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe Truth Editor<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Robin Sulier-Charney, ProMedica\u2019s oncology community liaison, began speaking to barbers in 2017 after developing an understanding through her research that such advocates would be an effective way to reach the Black male population that has such disproportionately high cancer mortality rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping to create bridges and begin the conversation to develop trust,\u201d says Sulier-Charney of her efforts. \u201cI wanted the guys to know that there are people that can be trusted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sulier-Charney and ProMedica then started supplying barbers with health screening, health education and resources for their clients and, from that collaboration, grew ProMedica\u2019s Black Barbershop Initiative, a group of 10 barbershop owners, working with cardiologist Dr. Brian Dolsey, \u201ctrying to define what do we want to work on,\u201d recalls Sulier-Charney.<\/p>\n

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Robin Charney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That collaboration resulted in a mental health first aid workshop that \u201cbarbers could easily relate to,\u201d says Sulier-Charney. Several pointed out to her that listening to their clients on an everyday basis was exactly what they did in their everyday lives and what the workshop emphasized.<\/p>\n

One program that emerged was the \u201cArt of the Cut,\u201d an annual event hosted by the Toledo Museum of Art, during which local Black barbers performed haircuts in styles ranging from the 1950s to 2000s.<\/p>\n

One project that emerged from Art of the Cut was Sons of Toledo<\/em>, a short film that officially premiered on March 26 in the Toledo Museum of Art\u2019s Peristyle. The film, co-written by Matt Foss, an associate professor of theatre at the University of Toledo, and Monty Cole, a Chicago-based film director who also directed the film, came about when Foss had the opportunity to sit in during the first \u201cArt of the Cut\u201d event and listen to the barbers\u2019 discussions about life in a Black barbershop.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlack barbers are leaders and have started all sorts of programs \u2013 they have taken initiatives,\u201d says Sulier-Charney.<\/p>\n

Sons of Toledo<\/em>\u2019s opening scene reenacts a call to a barbershop \u00a0– a mother calling her son to inform him that his little brother has been killed and would he go to the morgue to give him one final haircut.<\/p>\n

The main part of the film takes place in P and J\u2019s Da Shop in East Toledo \u2013 a documentary part of the film featuring participants such as Jeremy Pratt, whose uncle Jamal Grant owns the shop, talking about what the shop has meant to him and barbershops in general mean to the Black community. Pratt is now completing law school, the first in his family to go to college.<\/p>\n

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Jodie Summers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sons of Toledo<\/em> is now available for all to view online.<\/p>\n

Sulier-Charney\u2019s work with the local Black barbershops was slowed by the pandemic but not halted. All of the shops closed for a while but many took that time when they couldn\u2019t cut hair to focus on other matters \u2013 working on the physical areas or trying to cope with issues of clients\u2019 mental health \u2013 issues exacerbated by the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was really impressed,\u201d says Sulier-Charney. \u201cThey were prepared; they asked \u2018what can we do while we are waiting?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Now that life is almost back to normal, there is more for Charney to focus on.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor five years I\u2019ve been going in giving information, getting information for the social determinants of health, talking about what they hear. We are following the lead of the barbers and using research-based evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

For her work in the community, Sulier-Charney is this year\u2019s YWCA Milestones honoree for Social Services.<\/p>\n

A graduate of Whiteford Agriculture High School, Sulier-Charney began her college career in her 40s studying sociology and justice at Lourdes and then earning a graduate degree at the University of Toledo in criminal justice under the guidance of then-Professor Morris Jenkins.<\/p>\n

\u201cReducing recidivism was my passion as was being part of the community to mitigate horrible injustices,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n