Heads of the Class : Free Haircuts Send L.A. Youths to School in Style

Talk about cutting it close.

Fred Williams assembled 600 fidgety schoolchildren, 75 impatient moms, 17 corporate sponsors, a dozen celebrity entertainers and five harried barbers Thursday to launch a three-day haircut marathon. And he was only 25 minutes late getting going.

Williams is a community activist who for five years has offered free back-to-school haircuts for youngsters in South-Central Los Angeles.

If kids return to class looking good, they will do good, Williams reasons.

He had his work cut out for him Thursday, however.

This year’s end-of-summer cut-a-thon is the largest that Williams has undertaken. His barbers spent five hours Thursday at Jordan Downs Recreation Center. Today they travel to the Imperial Courts housing project; on Saturday they visit Nickerson Gardens.

“I always believe it’s going to work,” said Williams, 33, an ex-gang member who for 16 years has worked to keep inner-city youths from becoming dropouts.

“This is a good way of motivating kids to go back to school. We try to make an exciting beginning for the school year. The school district seems to have a problem motivating kids.”

Along with the free haircuts, youngsters received heavy-duty book bags, T-shirts, personal hygiene items, school supplies and compact discs--items worth about $50, said officials for Cross Colours, a clothing manufacturer that is helping sponsor this year’s event through the Cross Colours Common Ground Foundation.

Stylish “fade cuts” were the most popular trim ordered by the boys who lined up.

Fifth-grader Mike Trotter, 10, specified a “high-top fade” from barber Patrick Windom. In the next chair, seventh-grader Lavertis Smith, 12, ordered up a “bald fade” from barber Victor Hawkins. In about six minutes, Windom and Hawkins were finished and Mike and Lavertis were admiring their respective looks.

Others in line to collect their book bag and school supplies were kicking themselves for getting haircuts early. “I paid a man $5 to cut my hair on Sunday,” moaned Branden Bullard, 10, a sixth-grader.

As they waited their turn, youngsters heard actors Todd Bridges and Rose Weaver urge them to stay in school and to respect each other. Rap music recording artists Shy Tai Love and Mack of Brotherhood Creed reminded them that “you’ve got to learn to read and write if you’re gonna rap.”

Drummer Carlo St. Juste of the reggae-beat Magyk Band was sporting shoulder-length dreadlocks as he mingled with youngsters. He did not venture near Williams’ barbers, however. “It’s been 3 1/2 years since my last haircut,” he laughed.

Some of the youngsters did not want to get within scissors-length of the haircutters, either.

Carlos Ponce, 16, who will enter the 10th grade at Jordan High on Tuesday, said he will use the $252 he earned through a summer youth employment program to buy new clothes, school supplies--and a haircut. “I’m glad school’s starting,” he said. “Summer’s boring.”

Thirteen-year-old ninth-grader Donte Wallace likewise said thanks but no thanks to a free trim.

“I don’t want to take no chances,” he said.

“You can’t get your money back if you get a bad haircut when you didn’t pay for it to begin with.”