These Black women are cutting up in this Omaha neighborhood.
Shannon “Boo” Jackson, 31, owns Heavi Hitters, the first barbershop in Benson owned and run by Black women.
According to KETV, Omaha’s ABC affiliate, the shop’s all-women staff is comprised of different ethnicities.
“It’s given our clients, a different perspective of life, being in a male-dominated world,” said Ayanna Carfield, a hairstylist
at Jackson’s barbershop, who said the mission is to curate a space for clients of different backgrounds.“We really just want to create a space where anyone can feel like they can come in here,” said cosmetologist and professional makeup artist Alia Jackson. “To be a public figure in the eye where women that look like us and girls that are growing up and looking at us as role models know that they can do it all.”
The barbershop doesn’t limit its services to haircuts. Clients can get work done on braids, wigs, makeup, and tattoos. According to the shop’s Booksy, other services include beard trimming and maintenance, head shaving, and facials.
“Seeing that they feel completely different from when they first came in, like I can have somebody come in and have the worst day ever. But once they come out of my chair, they feel completely different a whole new person,” Carfield said.
Even though Heavi Hitters has only been operating since 2019, the barbershop has boomed. In need of more space, the shop
moved to 6570 Maple St. in Benson.“With this new salon and being in this area, we get a lot of traffic,” said Latoria Neal, another hairstylist with the barbershop, who noted that the employee relationships have developed over the years. “We all grew together, like a sisterhood with each other, like, this is my family,” she added.