Bristols Book Serves as Featured Reference for Article on the American Beard

A recent article about the racial history of the American Beard written for the magazine, “The Atlantic,” featured references to the book, “Knights of the Razor: Black Barbers in Slavery and Freedom,” by Dr. Douglas Bristol, associate professor of history at The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus.

Reflecting on 2013 as a banner year in men's facial hair, the article, “The Racially Fraught History of the American Beard,” referenced Bristol's book multiple times as the article delved into men's facial hair history.

“Knights of the Razor,” published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2009, examines the lives of black barbers who were able to exercise free speech in St. Louis, Mo. Prior to the Civil War, these men had power over their white clients because they yielded sharp tools during their services.