Oral history interview with Ato Ansah

Ato Ansah, a barber in Washington, DC, spoke about migrating to the United States in 1974; his path to becoming a barber, including cutting hair when he lived in Africa; his daily work as a barber; challenges as a barber; the barbershop where he worked, including the atmosphere; gaining confidence as a barber; stories; his clientele – white people and Black people, and all different ethnicities with all different types of hair; creating his own hairstyles; his love of cutting hair; the basic tools he used; educating people about the importance of hair grooming; who cuts his hair; and his future goals and dreams. Ansah explained which hairstyles he came across in the United States that related to hairstyles in Africa; Africans, as a whole, complain that both Black and white American barbers are only interested in money; and how Africans perceive his work as a barber. Interview is in English. Digital audio files include minimal white noise and static, and minimal background noise. Interviewee's voice is intelligible.