Black Boy Joy Comes With a Fresh Fade: ‘J.D. and the Great Barber Battle’ Review

Everyone knows that in the Black community, when you find a good barber, it’s for life. You are basically in a loyal relationship. I, myself, had the same barber until his sudden passing (RIP Jim), but that’s how it is for us. However, what if you not feeling a barber? Well, you simply find a new one. However, it’s not so easy when you’re a kid. You’re usually relegated to going to whoever your parents take you to, and that was J.D.’s problem. At eight years old, he was stuck going to a barber who really didn’t care about kids’ cuts. But, like most Black boys, he wanted the freshest style and the one local shop wasn’t cutting it. First, before I get into this review of J.D. and the Great Barber Battle, I want to say that as a fellow Mississippian, I was very proud to do this review. While Meridian, Mississippi is about two hours from where I am from, it was still nice to see and read something from a writer from my home state and a fellow HBCU grad. Clean First Day Cut J.D. is excited for his first day of third grade, and his mom gives him a haircut for the occasion. However, while his mom is great at a lot of things, cutting hair is not one of them. As J.D. describes it, his hairline looks like a “hilltop.” It is completely messed up, and he dons a snapback as a means to hide the first day hair tragedy. However, his best friend snatches the hat off (some best friend) and reveals it to the entire bus. J.D.’s hair becomes the topic of conversation and ridicule throughout his e…