By Kathy Gaillard
Gaulien Smith, owner of one of Milwaukee’s most popular barbershops—Gee’s Clippers—has been cutting hair since he was 12 years old. He started out cutting his own hair and as he got good at it, it became a ‘side hustle’ for him but he never gave serious thought to becoming a barber. Growing up with five brothers and a sister, word of his skills quickly spread.
“I had no real plan. I didn’t decide to make it a career until I was about 20 years old. I attended real estate school for a time but wasn’t happy with that. It wasn’t until my mother told me that I should stop running from being a barber because I was so good at it that I decided to pursue it. I talked with my next door neighbor, who was a barber, and decided to go to school for cosmetology,” said Smith.
Apparently his mother was right. After finishing school, Smith eventually opened two barbershops, before moving to his current location on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in 2017.
“I liked the aesthetics of the building and the location. The square footage enabled me to fit all 30 barbers and stylists under one roof and it’s more economical,” said Smith.
These days Gee’s Clippers is a hub of activity and not just for styling and cutting hair. Smith’s shop has become a community treasure, stepping in and stepping up to meet the needs of the Black community, and particularly focusing on men’s health— physical and mental. During the COVID-19 pandemic Gee’s Clippers became a site for vaccines and other resources. And, post-pandemic, they’ve revived many of the programs and services offered to the community, including a popular ‘safe space’ for men called “Real Men, Real Talk,” where every third Monday, as many as 150 men gather between 5-7 p.m. to break bread together and have tough conversations.
“This is a space where guys can be themselves and talk with other men without feeling self-conscious. They encourage and empower one another,” said Smith.
Wisconsin Community Services and the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative (MFI) sponsor Real Men, Real Talk, which begins with a meal prepared and served by women, then the women leave, and concludes with men discussing tough issues and challenges. The retreats have been so beneficial that plans are underway to go up north with the men on a two-day retreat in 2024.
“Real Men, Real Talk has definitely picked up a lot of traction over the past five years. We are exploring ways to curb a lot of the violence and negative state of the community.
“There are two institutions that can change the trajectory of our community—barbershops and churches. Barbershops are one of a few places where men can go and be themselves; it’s their safe haven. It is one of the few places where a man allows another man into his personal space. The barber-client relationship is one of the closest relationships a man has, even closer than his doctor. Over time those relationships grow. My average client has been coming here for 15 years and I’ve been cutting the hair of a few men for 25-30 years,” said Smith.
In Smith’s opinion, COVID-19 has impacted and traumatized youth in ways that most people can’t comprehend.
“The pandemic made the state of our youth even worse. Pre-pandemic, students were able to talk to teachers, counselors and others, but during the pandemic schools were virtual for two years, many youth were unable to see therapists, and unprepared students were passed on to the next grade level. There was no place for youth to go, because the YMCA and Boys & Girls’ Clubs were closed. The effects of this will be felt for years to come. Throughout the pandemic youth were surrounded by the dysfunction within their households for a year or more, without respite.
“Individuals who know better, need to do better. Individually, we have to do more, and I actually see fragments of the community changing. As long as we understand the power we have as barbershops and everyday men to care enough to address those young men or women, this can be a better place. But we all need to get involved,” said Smith.
Gee’s Clippers is doing its part. That is why Gaulien Smith and his business are diamonds in our community.