Located in the heart of the Waverly area, Columbia, South Carolina, The Black Box Barber Shop is one of many characteristics. From the outside it may look like and ordinary old building, but on the inside it is full of liveliness. Know to be a central spot for the people in the is community, pass through all day every day to get a hair cut, just hang out, or both. This is a close knit community where everybody knows everybody and this is the Black Box Barber Shop is the place to be to experience everything about this little town.
The Black Box Barber Shop was opened up by Reagan Smith almost 25 years ago. He and his wife cut hair together and wanted to open up a place where everyone was welcome to get a haircut. He dreamed of a place for his community to be able to get the haircut they wanted in a place where they felt loved and comfortable. So they opened up the shop and named it the Black Box Barber Shop. The name came from a popular hairstyle in the Africa-American community back in the early 1980’s called the “box” haircut. Considering his barber shop was going to be for African-Americans, and African-Americans were the ones wearing the “box” haircut, came the name the Black Box Barber Shop. Reagan Smith still cuts hair at his barber shop to this day, and still has countless customers from when he started 25 years ago. Reagan also has two other barbers working in his shop. Derick and Lamont. Derick has been at the Black Box Barber Shop for 15 years and Lamont for less than a year.
The Black Box Barber Shop is a place for the whole town. Everyone comes by the Black Box Barber Shop to say hey, hang out, and get a hair cut. This place is full of laughter, friendly arguments over sports, conversation, drama, and town gossip. Most of the time there is nowhere to sit and the room is full of people standing around shooting the bull with one another. This place is truly one big happy family of people. This place is full of welcoming hospitality and friendliness. Reagan Smith says that he isn’t planning on going anywhere anytime soon and that the Black Box Barber Shop will live one for a long time to come.