At Central Station Barbershop & Grooming, a haircut comes with more than a fresh fade. It comes with a book, a savings lesson and a conversation about becoming the best version of yourself.
Since opening the shop in 2015, Antonio Brown has turned his St. Petersburg barbershop into a space focused on literacy, financial responsibility and mentorship for young men in the community where he grew up.
“That’s when I came up with this barbershop where I can mentor the kids through books and provide exposure to their culture, provide a sense of self-confidence and self-esteem and give them an opportunity to change some of the narrative,” Brown said.
Brown said he noticed many children in the community struggled with reading and lacked access to books that reflected Black culture. He wanted to introduce literature in a way that felt relatable. Brown focused on targeting the fourth-grade reading proficiency gap.
According to United For ALICE, 46% of residents in 2013 were living at or below the ALICE threshold, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed or in poverty. Brown said his coalition helps remove these financial barriers while addressing literacy gaps.
“I wanted to create something where books would be introduced by someone that looked like them,” Brown said. “The kids that we cut in our inner-city communities will now have a piece of knowledge that they could take with them forever, so it started there.”
While Brown cuts hair, young clients read their chosen book out loud. This is to help them practice tone, confidence and comprehension.
The idea expanded beyond the barbershop chair. Brown founded the Competitive Readers Coalition Inc. to provide free haircuts, free books and home libraries for youth. Each first haircut through the program comes with a first book.
From 2024 to 2025, the coalition provided 1,147 free haircuts and 1,147 free books to families and added new books to children’s home library collections. This is 24 free books annually per child to help build those at home libraries.
The report also shows a value returned of $34,410 to the families. Brown said the data is based on bookings and shows an 88% average completion rate.
The program also includes a financial literacy component. With every free haircut, participants are required to deposit the money they would have spent on the cut into a savings account.
“Not only do we want them to fall in love with reading, we provide them with an opportunity to learn more about financial literacy by having them save the funds they would normally pay for their haircut,” Brown said.
According to Brown’s calculations, a participant who receives 24 haircuts in a year could save $720 annually.
Beyond books and savings, conversations inside the shop often expand to homeownership, entrepreneurship, conflict resolution, social-emotional development and co-parenting skills.
“I’m not just dealing with a child, but I’m also dealing with the parents as well,” Brown said. “You’re able to have open dialogue and there’s no judgment. It’s a safe space.”
Brown said his desire to mentor youth stems from family influence. His grandfather worked in parks and recreation and was an educator. His grandmother was also an educator. He said their community impact inspired him to follow a similar path.
He attributes his drive to what he calls his five strengths: individualization, achiever, self-assurance, belief and ideation. Those traits, he said, help fuel the creativity behind the program’s structure.
“I had family members who were very impactful in the community and helped a lot of people, and I want to do the same,” Brown said.
In 2024, Brown was honored with a Congressional Award from U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor for helping provide more than 1,500 books and haircuts to local children. He also received the Community Architect Award and was recognized as a Black History Month honoree for his work with the Barbershop Book Club.
There are 10 current shops that are a part of the coalition. Brown said he plans to continue this expansion within the next 18 months. His goal is to partner with 50 to 100 additional barbershops.
“The sky is the limit with the way things are now,” Brown said.
Barbershops interested in joining the coalition can complete a form through Central Station Barbershop & Grooming or contact Brown directly. Community members can donate to help purchase new books, which cost between $12 and $15 each. Volunteers are also welcome to assist youth as they read aloud during their haircuts.
“What benefits them is they stay out of trouble. They have financially successful lives,” Brown said. “They will come back and ask for advice.”
Brown said he understands the importance of being a role model and is ready to mentor the next child who walks through his door.
