If Stephen Thomas has his way, patrons of African American-owned barbershops and salons in the Washington area can someday get a shave, haircut and test for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The coronavirus pandemic is killing African Americans at double the rate of Whites, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials are looking for allies who can help knock down those disparities.
Barbershops are institutions with deep reservoirs of trust in the Black community, Thomas said.
