In the late 1940s, members of a predominantly White barber union in St. Louis, frustrated by the increasing competition from Black barbers, worked with lawmakers to pass a law restricting the working hours of barbers. The ordinance set strict limits on when barbers could operate, prohibiting them from working after 6:30 p.m. or on Sundays and holidays.
That law, still on the books in St. Louis, is now set to be repealed. On Friday, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen passed a bill aimed at revoking the ordinance, a move expected to be formally enacted by the city’s mayor.
Researchers and lawmakers have pointed out that similar laws were enacted across various states, cities, and counties in the 20th century, often with discriminatory effects on Black and immigrant barbers.
