August 3rd 2023.
Valerie Roberts is a shining example of perseverance and strength. She inherited her family business, Eddie's Barbershop, back in the 1960s in the neighborhood of Asbury Park.
Valerie was not sure if the city was ready to accept a woman barber, as she felt many in the city were not prepared to see a lady barber in the neighborhood. But due to some advice from her father, she stayed. He told her that if she ran from difficult situations, she would never make it in life.
Valerie's father, Edward Hilton, opened the barbershop on Springwood Avenue near Dewitt in 1940. After running the business for over 20 years, his health started to fail, so Valerie took over.
As with any business, Valerie had to survive during rough times. She said the business was almost lost due to race riots in the 1970s. She recalled that it was one of the scariest days she had ever experienced. Luckily, a friend of hers helped her remove everything in the shop during the looting and hide it in his grocery store.
Eugene Berry has been getting his haircut at Eddie's Barbershop for over 20 years and plans to continue that tradition. Berry said that Valerie is an example of what Asbury Park should be and that she is the only one he would let touch his curls.
Now, Valerie wants to continue the legacy and hand the business down to her grandson. Thanks to her resilience, Eddie's Barbershop is now one of the oldest Black-owned businesses in the community. Valerie has truly become an inspiration to many.
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