The Barber of Little Rock

Now streaming on newyorker.com

What a treat to share with you The Barber of Little Rock, a powerful short film directed by the talented Christine Turner and my beloved friend John Hoffman. I had the pleasure of developing the film with them in its infancy and am thrilled to see it all grown up. Kudos to Jon Bardin (aka my husband) for shepherding it as an executive producer, too.

Arlo Washington is not only the titular barber — he’s the founder of a barber college in his still deeply segregated hometown and a man on a mission. His goal? Narrow the yawning racial wealth gap by opening People Trust, the only bank serving its redlined neighborhood and the first Black-owned bank in the state of Arkansas. Christine, John, and producer Christina Avalos followed Arlo and his community for more than a year and have painted a beautiful and inspiring picture of this visionary leader and his quest for economic justice.

I'm proud to say the film has been shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film, and it launched today as part of The New Yorker Documentary. I’d be chuffed if you’d watch it and spread the word — Arlo Washington and his good work deserve a larger audience.