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Terrytown, Louisiana (WGNO) —Historically, the barbershop has been an important setting within the black community. It has been a place for civil rights meetings, a place to discuss laws and a place to contemplate community concerns. The barbershop remains a place for open casual conversation.

Today, that conversation continues to evolve with the Confess Project. The Confess Project is a nation-wide mental health awareness coalition installed at select barbershops. Customers come in for a haircut and also have transparent conversation with their barbers about what might be causing stress.

The hope is to increase life expectancy in black males and move past harmful societal stigmas and potentially be a bridge for customers to accept professional counseling.

The Confess Project began in 2016, in Little Rock, Arkansas with founder, Lorenzo Lewis. Lewis recognized communities of color like his own, were dealing with specific hardships.

Kuts Unlimited is a barbershop in Terrytown, Louisiana and is one of the first barbershops to be contacted by Lewis. Dywan Richardson is the owner and barber who listens and says, “remaining quiet when there is a problem, has been rooted in our community. We are quiet and don’t really talk about our mental state. We don’t say much or talk much because people believe it shows signs of weakness. You see more violence happening and I think it’s happening because of the mental instabilities that are going on.”

Terry Gaddis Jr. has been getting his hair cut at Kuts Unlimited and engaging with the Confess Project for quite some time saying, “I would say with the Confess Project, it helped me to be outspoken more and not hold things in. From a man’s perspective, we are taught to be strong and keep pushing. The Confess Project teaches us to be outspoken, share things and not be afraid to be judged. A lot of people are quick to judge on things that you say and conduct yourself. The Confess Project allows you to be you without judged.”

For more information on Kuts Unlimited, and how you can help the Confess Project in their mission click here.