Michael Gordon has owned Gordon's Barbershop in Charlotte's Cherry neighborhood since 1991, and he has never cut hair. The shop at 601 Baldwin Avenue has been cutting hair since 1935.
Clemon Morris opened it that year, when Charlotte segregated Black people by law and custom. It has outlasted Jim Crow, recessions, a pandemic, and the gentrification of Cherry. Neighbors remember the building holding a dance hall, a beauty shop, and a place for Girl Scouts to meet, with a restaurant and club joined to the barbershop, a hot spot in the neighborhood.
Gordon grew up in Philadelphia. The shop's name comes from his grandfather, Mancel Gordon, whose World War II dog tags he wears every day. He also owns an automotive shop, and he has helped launch young barbers, including Damian and Jermaine Johnson, founders of No Grease Barbershop. His advice to them: stay true to yourself and keep your company small. "If you can count five people on your hand, you did good."
The shop is a family legacy now. His son, Damu, is taking it forward and plans to add another barber, and Gordon says seeing his son stay and grow is his biggest reward. Peter McGinn, who joined the team, says he never wants anyone to feel a haircut is out of their price range. Visitors describe vintage decor and conversation that crosses generations while they wait. If you want a barbershop in Charlotte with real history, start here.
Stay true. Keep it small.
