Obama's Barber speaks on Social Networking

When you get your hair cut, or styled, what pictures are you looking at on the wall of the barber shop or hair salon? What are you talking about? If you're at the Hyde Park Hair Salon, you're probably talking about how President Obama gets his hair cut there when he's in Chicago. That's because this was his barber shop before becoming President

So what is he talking about? And as tourist come to the barber shop over the next 4 to 8 years, what will they talk about?

Come to the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference this Thursday, and find out how the Hyde Park Hair Salon seeks to become a hub for community activism.

At 12:50pm on Thursday, the keynote presentation will be titled: CCommunity Organizing Opportunities in the Neighborhood Barbershop.

The speaker will be Ishmael Alamin, Owner of the Hyde Park Hair Salon, the Official Barbershop of President Barack Obama, located in Hyde Park, Ill. Assisted by Kenya Robinson, Marketing Director for Hyde Park Hair Salon.

Hyde Park is a business that has been in the Hyde park community for over 80 years. We have seen, heard and spoken with many people of the community and around the city about numerous subjects. The barbershop has always been a place where people conversate and find out what exactly is going on in communities, politics, current events, sports, family and around the world.

The barbershop has a history of community organization, used as a measurement of political views, shaping of opinions etc. ...in short, a place to hear and tell it all. This idea holds true rather it is a minority shop or not. This is an ideal place to speak with people from all over the community and introduce the different ways in which we can help the community. The same ideas and concerns shared in the shop should not end with conversation. Many people do not know how or what to do about many problems discussed while others don't believe there is anything that can be done about certain issues and problems. In introducing them to the Tutor/Mentor Connection, discussing tutoring and/or mentoring programs, and the RESULTS of programs that have been implemented and have actually worked. Not only should barbershops be used as a forum to express problems but as a forum to solve them or receive the tools to help.

Read this pdf to learn more about the Hyde Park Hair Salon.