Barbershop Network News Association is offering 1,500 free haircuts to encourage more political engagement with local Chicagoans, Executive Director Jeffery Coleman said in a press release. 

The barbershop group has started a grassroots movement to connect the community with local small businesses like barbershops while spreading the message of the significance of voting. The Barbershop Network News Association is beginning this voter awareness project in Chicago but hopes to spread it to cities across the country, Coleman said. 

In the press release, Coleman spoke about his dedication to bringing awareness to the importance of voting, especially within the local community in Chicago. The press release also noted the importance of community members partaking in good conversations with one another.

"A lot of people are not politically astute and don’t even know who their state senator is, nor do they care. I always believe if we can capture and keep people interested, we can teach them the importance of their vote,” Coleman said in a statement.

The conversation between a client and the barber for 45 minutes is enough to get the conversation going. Coleman considers this interaction to be a “powerful communication hub.” 

The press release mentioned Coleman is actively walking into local barbershops and setting up free haircut coupons that barbers can give to their customers. 

"This is not just about civic engagement, it is also about business engagement," Coleman said. "It’s time to support and grow Chicago’s Black-owned businesses once again.”

Coleman has partnered with Robert Blackwell Jr., founder of EKI-Digital, a technology consulting firm in Chicago. Blackwell is responsible for funding the free haircut coupons. Blackwell also formed a new business advisory group, "The Entrepreneurial Saving Chicago" (TESC). The advisory group is focused on helping Black and Brown businesses grow.

“It is important to take action and help entrepreneurs solve customer problems, create social capital and lift their communities out of poverty,” Blackwell said.