Terrell Brandon's Barbershop

The day started off slow with news of Obama's Oregon primary win the class wanted to see what Earl had to say about it. We headed to Earl's barbershop again and talked with him for a few. He was happy and his patron was very talkative as well. He was a African American man who was a retired electrian, but he seemed well educated and was very proud that Obama was that much closer to the presidential nod.

Earl informed us we should head down the street to Terrell Brandon’s Barbershop a few blocks down Alberta for more information about the area. Harrell didn't recognize the name at first but I did right away. One of the great basketball players in the NBA right as I was getting out of high school in 97. Terrell Brandon interestingly enough is mentioned on Wikipedia, so here is the link incase you’re the non-sports type: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrell_Brandon


So we headed down to see what we could find. Harrell walked in to see if it was cool if we came inside to talk. It was and so we all went in to chat. It was kinda funny because there was this younger African American women getting her "hair did" and the first thing she wanted to know was whom all these white folks voted for. All of us kinda looked around to see if there were any Hilary supporters and there were not. She was stunned! We all laughed, as we all knew that the ice had been broken. We chatted a bit with one of the barbers working who was very nice and just answered topical questions. We left a bit later and stopped a short distance up the street.

Harrell had a funny story as to what had happened when he came in to ask if it was cool if we came in. What had happened was that when he had come in and started to ask if he could talk to everyone about the neighborhood, the same women asked him whom he had voted for? He said Obama and she couldn't believe it. Apparently another barber was going "I told you so, I told you so" the whole time. Pretty funny how no matter if you are black or white we all have a slight fear of people that is different from ourselves. And what's even more interesting is that by a simple vote, something so American in deed, that it breaks the ice and brings us together even in the simple of circumstances.