A Place of Transformation: A Cut and a Change Barbershop
Words by Justin Hunter
Lionel got his start cutting hair around the age of 12. “I believe it was God that made me pick up the clippers,” he says as he takes a quick break from the steady flow of customers.
Five months ago, Lionel opened the shop with the help and support of his wife, Laura. His motivation behind the small business was to see God change lives one haircut at a time, in the same way God changed his life nearly two decades ago—hence the name, A Cut and A Change.
“First, I want to give God all of the glory for the business,” Lionel says. “And secondly, I couldn’t have done it without my wife. She pushed me and is my backbone. I’m so thankful for everything she did to get the shop up and running.”
At the lowest point in Lionel’s life, God used a barbershop to save and transform his life. After dropping out of Parrish High School, the reality of his decision began to cascade over him.Friendless but determined not to fall into the trap of street life, Lionel found refuge in Cedric’s Barbershop in Parrish. What began as just a hobby to make a little money on the side became his saving grace.
“I went to the owner of the shop and told him that I wanted to cut hair,” Lionel remembers. “He gave me a chance, and it took off from there.”
Taped to the mirror of his barber’s station on Commerce Avenue are two small reminders of God’s faithfulness. One is a wrinkled five-dollar bill—the first five dollars the business earned. The other is a printed copy of 1 John 1:9:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
On the eve of Labor Day weekend, a young boy takes a seat in the plush black-and-white barber’s chair as Lionel methodically begins the cutting process. His gold BaByliss PRO Trimmers quickly dance about the boy’s hair, Lionel gently turning his young customer’s head from side to side, shaping the hair with trimmers.
The shop is reverently quiet, except for the faint sounds of Criminal Minds on the television, the hum of the air conditioner, and the buzz of clippers. Customers are sparsely seated in the blue shop, awaiting their turn in the chair.
“I know in my heart of hearts that God put me on this earth to cut hair,” Lionel says, “and at the end of the day, I don’t want to let God down.”
Lionel believes his downtown location is the first in a franchise of A Cut and A Change Barbershops. His dream is to bring transformation—one haircut at a time. 78
Photography by Justin Hunter and Al Blanton
A Cut and A Change Barbershop
1919 Commerce Avenue in Jasper.
205-522-1867