A Black business owner in Atlanta expressed feeling betrayed and blindsided after the Trump campaign held an event at his barbershop. Rocky Jones, the owner of Rocky’s Barbershop, said that he takes pride in his business and welcomes customers from all backgrounds. To him, his business has never been about politics, but about serving his community and having good conversations.
Days before the debate, Jones was under the impression that he was hosting a small Black business roundtable, with no mention that it was a political event. He never heard from a Trump campaign representative either. The timing of the event did not initially raise any flags for Jones, as he was under the impression that it was a community-focused event. However, he now realizes the importance of being more skeptical and doing proper research before agreeing to host any events in the future.
Former President Trump even called in during the event, leaving Jones feeling like he had been betrayed. Despite reaching out to the Trump campaign for a response, Atlanta News First was not able to get a reply in time for their report. Jones wants to make sure that other business owners are aware of the potential pitfalls of agreeing to host events without doing proper due diligence.
Jones said that his barbershop had never been the site of a political event until prominent Republicans packed inside the day before the presidential debate in Atlanta. He took pride in his establishment and welcomed customers from all backgrounds. However, this incident has made him more cautious and wary of accepting events without fully understanding their purpose or agenda.
Jones is willing to return the money he received for closing his business for the event. He urges other business owners to be careful when receiving similar requests, even if they come from someone they trust.
The incident has left Jones feeling disheartened by what he sees as a politicization of businesses and communities by politicians looking to gain support or sway public opinion.
Jones hopes that other businesses will take note of this incident and be careful when accepting events without fully understanding their purpose or agenda.
The timing of this incident could not have been worse for Jones as it happened just days before one of
