I've been a barber in the Louisville community for 21 years and am currently the owner/operator of Haircutz! and The Campus Barber Shops. I also created Urban Barbers of Louisville where we "restore the professional image of the barbering community by altering your outer appearance to enhance your inner confidence." On the first Monday in November the past three years, we have celebrated Barbers Day of Louisville that Mayor Greg Fischer officially proclaimed in 2014. On this day, we recognize barbers who have years of service in our community.

Although the core base of Urban Barbers of Louisville focuses on serving the African American community, we are willing to partner with any organization that's willing to help reach our youth.

This is why we're excited to be part of Metro United Way's Books and Barbershops initiative where we encourage children in our shops to read and have greater self esteem, self love, and self interest in oneself. This also gives young men and boys an opportunity to engage with positive black male role models about the importance of literacy and goal setting.

We recently partnered with the Louisville Urban League to host an event called "Urban Shop Talk Forum." Dr. Ricky Jones of the University of Louisville Pan African Studies Department moderated the panel discussion called "Real Talk. Real Dialogue. Real Solutions." We had a great turnout and are proud that Metro United Way's Black Male Achievement initiative is sponsoring more of these events in 2017. We hope you can join us in May for the next one! Details will be available soon.

For more information about Metro United Way's Black Male Achievement initiative or Books and Barbershops program, visit HERE.

Master Barber J. "Divine Cuts" Alexander is known as Louisville's "Celebrity Barber," being the go-to stylist for those visiting our community. He's been licensed since 1995. Divine has also worked in Lexington, Kentucky at Above The Rim Cuts and Prince Barbershops; and in Atlanta at Legends and Headmasters Barbershops. He has owned and operated his own barbershop for the past 17 years (Haircutz! Barber Shop formally Divine C.U.T.S) and has recently opened The Campus Barber Shop located on the University of Louisville's campus. Divine has just recently scored an endorsement deal with a hair care/enhancement product company, Black Solutions. He serves as the regional representative for all of Kentucky, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis, for the company based out of Atlanta. In August 2015 he placed second in the Bronner Bros. International Hairshow Barbering competition, making him the first barber to compete and/or place from Louisville.