DETROIT (WXYZ) — At 87 years old, Vonzie Whitlow continues cutting hair at Detroit's first Black-owned barbershop, a legacy spanning more than six decades of community service and mentorship.
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"God keeps me motivated," Whitlow said.
Whitlow's barbershop opened in 1963 when Vonzie partnered with one of his two younger brothers, Calvin, who has since passed away. Their father, Howard Whitlow, encouraged the two to start the business right around the time Vonzie's daughter, Zena, was born.
"He didn't take me to daycare, he took me to work with him," Zena Whitlow said.
The barbershop has become a cornerstone of the community, serving multiple generations of Detroit families. Randy Tate has sat in the chair since he was a kid, born the same year the barbershop opened.
"I've been here 63 years, he's been here 63 years," Tate said.
Customers say they come not just for haircuts, but for Whitlow's wisdom and encouragement.
"You get some of his wisdom," Tate said.
"Don't waste it. Utilize it. Make it come and make it count," Whitlow said.
Zena Whitlow shares her father's advice: "Always keep something in your pocket if it ain't nothing but a dollar."
Customer July describes Whitlow as "a legend" who "stayed here when everyone was moving out and running away."
Whitlow's cutting skills were once guided and trained by Raymond Parks, the late husband of Rosa Parks. His mentor's shears now hang on the wall as a tribute.
Willie Townscl-Whitlow, both a barber with a chair in the shop and Vonzie's grandson, hopes to continue the family legacy.
"You could say he was like my superhero growing up, trying to be like him," Townscl-Whitlow said. "They are some big shoes to fill."
He hopes to keep the business running until it reaches a century old.
"He really made his mark on the city of Detroit for real," Townscl-Whitlow said.
Vonzie's younger brother, Rod Whitlow, still gets his hair cut by his older brother.
"He is the only one who has ever cut my hair," Rod Whitlow said. "Can't get him out of here. He's here forever."
Beyond the barbershop, Whitlow has spent decades giving back to his community. During the summer at Whitlow Park, he has gifted bicycles to children who stay in school and continues to feed the homeless.
"It wouldn't be a community like this without him," July said.
The park across the street is named after him, and they're working to get the street named in his honor as well.
"My dad has never abandoned this city. He loves the city of Detroit," Zena Whitlow said.
"I really enjoyed being here in the city," Vonzie Whitlow said.
When asked about retirement, Whitlow's answer is clear.
"When am I going to retire? When God takes it away," he said.
His daughter explains his philosophy: "He's like, barbers don't retire, they die."
"Nothing stops him," Zena Whitlow said.
The barbershop welcomes anyone and operates Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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