Sam's Barbershop

In a community like the East End section of Newport News, Va., where there are no banks, movie theaters or grocery stores, barbershops and beauty parlors become the community centers. Sam's Barber Shop is a one-chair shop on Jefferson Ave., run by LeRon Weaver, the nephew of the original Sam. All day long, men and women, gang members, drug dealers, civic leaders, business owners, and children exchange gossip, talk politics, sports, dating, marriage, crime, race relations. It is the one place in the community where the residents of the East End can freely express themselves and form opinions. These are photos taken during video interviews with LeRon's customers for the "no snitch" multimedia project.