CoCo Brought “The Barbershop” to the MLK Festival, Creating Space for Community Dialogue and Collective Healing

On January 19, Community Coalition (CoCo) brought the spirit and tradition of the Black barbershop and nail salon to life at this year’s MLK Festival, transforming Degnan Boulevard into a powerful space for dialogue, reflection, and community connection.

For generations, barbershops and nail salons have served as more than places of grooming in Black communities — they have been trusted gathering spaces where stories are shared, issues are debated, and collective understanding takes shape. Honoring this legacy, CoCo’s Barbershop activation invited festivalgoers to engage in real, honest conversations about the challenges shaping South Los Angeles today.

Throughout the afternoon, community members, elders, and our youth gathered for a collective experience and open dialogue centered on community safety, housing, economic justice, and the power of people-led solutions. The conversations reflected Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call for justice, dignity, and collective responsibility, grounding present-day struggles in a long tradition of civic engagement and resistance.

“The barbershop has always been a place where truth is told, and ideas are exchanged,” said Marsha Mitchell, Community Coalition’s Senior Communications Director. “We wanted to bring that same energy to the MLK Festival — a space where people could feel heard, seen, and empowered to speak about what’s really happening in their communities.”

As part of the activation, CoCo launched a new community poll designed to capture the most pressing concerns facing South Los Angeles residents, including cuts to the social safety net, public safety, housing instability, and economic hardship. The feedback gathered will help inform the organization’s advocacy efforts and future campaigns. The interactive setup drew steady crowds throughout the day, with festival attendees stopping to listen, participate, and share their perspectives. The barbershop-style layout created an inviting atmosphere that encouraged open conversation and connection across generations.

By bringing the barbershop to the heart of the MLK Festival, Community Coalition reaffirmed its commitment to centering community voices and creating spaces where dialogue leads to action — continuing the legacy of collective care and people-powered change that Dr. King championed.