University Avenue barber hosts backpack giveaway, launches youth mentoring nonprofit
Aug. 31—Milan Dennie was in a difficult spot a year ago. Dennie had reopened King Milan's Barbershop in St. Paul in early May 2020, in defiance of the governor's extended stay-at-home orders, while insisting he could cut hair safely using masks, combs sterilized in Barbicide and other precautions he shared at the time in a proposal to the Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners and the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners.
It's unclear how much his efforts moved the needle, but the state allowed salons with COVID plans to reopen on June 1.
By last September, the annual Frogtown backpack giveaway he's run since 2015 was back on, but without the customary free haircuts for young people returning to school. Turnout was lighter than expected, even with a hamburger cookout and members of the Minnesota Teamsters National Black Caucus hosting a bounce house across the street.
TIME TO GIVE BACK
Dennie remains unfazed. He recently hired his fourth barber, bringing his small shop back up to full staffing after months of running it alone.
"It's going better now," Dennie said Monday. "We're doing good."
And now it's time to give back.
It's Our Neighborhood, the youth mentoring nonprofit Dennie founded in association with King Milan's Barbershop, will once again give away 300 to 500 backpacks from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 6, at 511 W. University Ave., this time with free haircuts for anyone of school age.
Target has donated backpacks. The hamburgers and hot dogs are back on the grill. And It's Our Neighborhood will use the opportunity to show off the youth hangout that Dennie has opened in a basement space beneath the shop, where Dennie himself will teach an entrepreneurship curriculum up to four times per week.
The curriculum, E-Seedling, was founded by Madison, Wis., educator Julie Ann Wood, and it's Dennie's way of offering the kinds of lessons he never received growing up in poverty in a single-parent home in Gary, Ind.
"They don't get these kinds of conversations at home," said Dennie, who has physical space to work with about 10 young people at a time. "I know I didn't. (Mom) knew the commonsense things — go to school, get good grades — but she had never bought a home or run a business."
OTHERS STEP UP TO HELP
Others have stepped up to help. UPS has signed on as a financial sponsor. A contact at UPS who is active with the National Black Caucus of Teamsters plans to come by once a week and recruit young workers while teaching them about career readiness and college opportunities. Dennie has hired a chess master to teach chess. He's currently interviewing college students who can serve as academic tutors.
He's talking to the Neighborhood Development Center, which is building a new mixed-use building at Dale Street and University Avenue, about hiring young people for landscaping jobs. He's envisioning field trips and basketball tournaments, visits to drive-in movie theaters and presentations on how to write a business plan.
On Tuesday, Dennie made a funding presentation pitch to the Bush Foundation. He's also accepting donations from the general public.
By mid-September, It's Our Neighborhood hopes to be open daily. More information is online at itsourneighborhood.com.
