Inaugural GQ Huddle Makes Impact on Young Black Males; Will Continue Quarterly
Durham, NC – Gentlemen’s Quarters (GQ) Academy held its first event on Sunday, October 20th at Hillside High School. The event, GQ Huddle, was organized by Derrick Cagle and Gia Pebbles and tailored to young black teenage males 13 to 18 years old. Due to the impact of the inaugural event, the GQ Academy will collaborate with the Durham Sheriff’s office to host citywide GQ Huddle events quarterly. The next event will be held in January 2020.
GQ Huddle is the brainchild of Derrick Cagle, Master Barber and the founder of the Gentlemen’s Quarters Academy. Cagle, who has been a barber for 20 years, says he wanted the event to have a barbershop feel for the young men. “I have young men that come into my barbershop and these young men want to discuss various and sometimes difficult issues such as peer pressure, drugs, and sex that they tend to deal with as teenagers.”
Gia Pebbles, the Owner/Master Stylist for The Aura Galleria which houses GQ Academy and Gentlemen’s Quarterly Barber Shop credits the GQ Huddle event as a “vision that Derrick had” and she wanted to help him put it together and give back to the community in that way.
A few barber chairs lined Hillside’s gymnasium floor. Cagle, along with a couple of other barbers, manned the chairs while young men sat for free haircuts. During this time local leaders took turns speaking and imparting wisdom into the young men.
Durham County Sherriff Clarence Birkhead spoke on the importance of staying out of trouble and staying on the good side of the law. Durham County District Attorney (DA) Satana Deberry talked about her role as Durham County DA and why she participates in community events such as GQ Huddle. “Events like this are important because it gives me a chance to give back to the local community and make a positive impact,” Deberry said.
Birkhead wholeheartedly agreed and offered to partner with GQ Academy to offer similar events quarterly.
Durham County Commissioner Brenda Howerton reflected on the touching loss of her two sons to police and gun violence. Howerton, speaking as a mother, stressed the importance of avoiding a troubled life that could lead to death at an early age and how that could negatively affect their loved ones that care about them. It was a sobering moment for the young men and they learned some valuable lessons from Commissioner Howerton.
Among other speakers imparting wisdom to the young men was Hall of Famer Drag Racer Eugene Coard, the first African American to make the US National Racing Team. Coard’s son is the founder of a mentoring program for young men called 24/7. NC State Representative Zack Hawkins taught the young men how to tie a necktie. Former Durham Mayor William V. ‘Bill’ Bell and Olympian medalist Bershawn Jackson talked about what it takes to win, whether in sports or life.
The vision for GQ Academy is to be a safe space for Black teenage and adult men to talk, laugh and learn. The Academy’s inaugural GQ Huddle was a holistic event for the young teenage men. DJ Pernell Ptrol was playing music, free haircuts were provided along with good food, catered by Champ Peebles and Kelvin Owens of DaBruh BBQ. And to top it all off, great information and knowledge were passed on to the youth.
GQ Academy will offer GQ Huddle in January 2020. For more information or to register for the next event, visit https://www.theauragalleria.com/gq-academy
GQ Huddle Highlights (photos: Glyndola Beasley):
