Luke in “Just to Get a Rep”

[eulogizing Pop] I asked Pop once why he didn't want people to curse in his shop and why we had to wear these ugly smocks. He said: these kids need to see a man go to work, every day, and be in the presence of men in uniform putting in work. I didn't want to walk in late, but I was trying to do what Pop always did, help those in need and protect them from the forces that would do them harm. At first, it was selfish, because my name was attached to it. Then it got bigger. If we try to protect only ourselves, without looking out for those people closest to us, then we lose. Pop never forgot his people. Where some people saw hard rock kids, he saw precious jewels. He reminded me that diamonds are formed by pressure, covered in dirt, but when you polish them, they shine. Pop saw the shine in everyone that walked in his barbershop, he cut their hair, he listened to their problems, and he made them feel better about the world, themselves. We have to strive on a daily basis to do the same for each other, and sometimes that's gonna mean standing up to a bully, especially if he calls himself a friend. I don't believe in Harlem. I believe in the people who make Harlem what it is.