Durham barbershop featured in Biden campaign ads
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two of the latest campaign ads for the Biden-Harris ticket have a local connection: Durham's 360 Barbershop on South Roxboro Street.
The ads, called "Shop Talk" show a group of masked, socially distanced Black men: State Representative Zack Hawkins, UNC-Chapel Hill student Greear Webb, community organizer David Dixon of the Durham County Democratic Party, defense attorney Keith Shackleford and attorney Antoine Marshall, sitting in barber's chairs and areas where customers wait for haircuts. They talk about the issues and attitudes that have an impact on the 2020 race for the White House.
Barber Mike Womble was in the shop on the Sunday when campaign cameras rolled, and he told ABC11 about that experience.
"Just listened to the guys talk. We were speaking about Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Trump," he said. "We know what we need to do. Everybody knows what we need to do. We just gotta do it."
David Dixon suggested the barbershop as a location for the ad, "Thinking that that could be a highlight within the community. Thinking that it would be highlighted within the video, folks could hopefully come and patronize that business."
It's a traditional shop with rules for behavior while inside the business, prices posted on the wall along with photos of styles that customers can request. You'll hear plenty of opinions about sports, and see members of collegiate teams like Duke and NC Central stop by for a trim.
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That community link presented another opportunity, said Dixon, "To really try to make sure we get folks not only turned out to vote, but we do our part to make sure folks are politically literate."
Barbershop owner Tone Boone hopes they'll see at least two more high profile visitors before November: "I think Harris and Biden need to come by and talk to us!"
For now, though, the ads shot inside the business are the barbershop's only link to the Biden-Harris campaign.
