ATLANTA, Ill. — The owner of Rocky's Barbershop, Rocky Jones, says he was misled into hosting a campaign event for former President Donald Trump, believing it was a forum for Black businesses.
In an interview, Jones said he thought his Buckhead shop would be the venue for a roundtable discussion aimed at helping Black business owners, not a political rally.
“To me, cutting hair is like an art,” said Jones, as the sound of clippers buzzed in the background. “We try to specialize in just giving good service to the community. As you can see, I've been here for 17 years, and it's been good.”
Jones explained how the event came to be: it started with a text message, followed by a phone call while he was out of the country. He agreed to host what he thought would be a small, private gathering for Black small business owners.
Instead, the event turned into a crowded affair, with Trump surrogates like Ben Carson and a surprise phone call from Trump himself.
“I thought it was going to be something real private,” Jones said. “I'm thinking about Black businesses in Atlanta, small Black businesses in Atlanta. And I'm like, 'Ok, so when are we gonna start talking about this?'”
The phone call from Trump was a shock. “I'm like, why is the ex-president calling somebody in my barbershop? This has nothing to do with small Black businesses.”
Jones said the fallout has been significant, with backlash from angry individuals who don't know him.
“We had some calls Thursday. We definitely got some calls, some backlash, some angry people that don't know me and I have to deal with that,” he said.
Jones emphasized that his barbershop is not a place for politics.
“I have no involvement in politics. We don't even talk politics in my barbershop. It's all sports. The World Cup, soccer, baseball, basketball – politics is not what I do. I commend everybody to vote, but that's your business. 'You know, I don't tell you what to do,'” Jones added.
The number of customers at Rocky's Barbershop has dwindled since the event, but Jones hopes the controversy will pass, allowing him to continue serving his community.
11Alive has contacted multiple representatives of the Trump campaign regarding Jones' claims, but they have not responded to our phone calls or emails.