Lorenzo Hampton III, father of three boys, is adamant about passing on the value of an education to young men in the Chicago area. In addition to his fatherly barber chair lectures, he has been giving out free haircuts for two years to young men who have received A’s on their report cards. He has gifted scholars with more than 100 haircuts, each valued at US$20 each.

School dropout rates are especially high in urban areas among minority students in the US. In Chicago, a city with extreme gang violence, the problem is especially bad. Dropout theory argues that there are three reasons for high dropout rates in the school system.  

Students drop out of school because they are exposed to bad situations like low-test scores, discipline policies and attendance; because they’re unable to connect with their teachers or their curriculum; or because they do not have a stable support system..

Lorenzo seeks to counter these factors with his free haircuts and his fatherly advice.

 Lorenzo knows school can be rough, so he rewards the young men who excel in it and he provides incentive for thriving in the first place.. Think Lorenzo only supports the men who succeed? Think again. He counsels his other young customers on how to move forward in life and achieve goals. Of course, Lorenzo does this while his customer tells him the type of haircut he wants.

Who’s his youngest student with straight A’s? A seven year old! His oldest is a young man of nineteen.

Role models and guardians are essential in all communities but, too often, there is a shortage in poor communities. Lorenzo is helping to close the gap of guidance, but there are more fundamental issues at stake. Children who grow up in poor communities have high dropout rates because of vast inequality in society. Investments have to be made in these communities to ensure that they have the same resources and the same paths to opportunity that children in more privileged communities have.

This is a long-term effort, but it is essential if inequality can ever be meaningfully addressed. Lorenzo’s community work, however, is making a difference.

It is estimated that in the United States a student drops out of high school every 26 seconds-7,000 students a day.

That is1.2 million high school students every year.

It is estimated that students with a support system, like a supportive family or community, are 81% more likely to finish their schooling than students without one.  However, there is some good news. Since President Obama took office in 2008 there has been a 27% drop in students failing to graduate, from 1 million students in 2008 to 750,000 students in 2012. Additionally, graduation rates for black and Hispanic students have risen 4% from 2011 to 2013. 

Support systems come in all sizes. They can come in the form of a president who recognizes and understands the achievement gap, teachers who understand their students’ life backgrounds, and even a local, hometown hero like Lorenzo Hampton III.

For each cut that Lorenzo gives to star students, he’s cutting into Chicago’s inequality.

TopicsAccess to EducationChicagoEducation Policy

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Defeat Poverty

Barber offers free haircuts for straight A students

By Katherine Curtiss