With a kind heart and a little sneakiness, New York Times best-selling author Shea Serrano was able to fund free back-to-school haircuts for 150 kids in South Houston.
Author of The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed, which is ranked number four on the New York Times’ Best Sellers list, Serrano often takes up the side job of creating illustrated bookmarks with his creative partner Arturo Torres. On August 12, 2016, he announced to his Twitter followers that new “Vengeance Russell” bookmarks were available for purchase.
ayyyyyyye the VENGEANCE RUSSELL bookmarks came in if you got one you’ll have it in the next few days they ship today pic.twitter.com/75lBU1gLaK
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) August 12, 2016
Little did his fans know that Serrano had philanthropic goals for their hard earned cash. The proceeds from the bookmark sales were used to hire all the barbers in a South Houston barbershop to spend their day off giving free back-to-school haircuts to any child who needed one.
“I remember one year I went to school on that first day and didn’t have a haircut and all my wack a** friends made fun of me endlessly for it,” he wrote in a Twitter post announcing the event. “That whole year was a waste, basically. There was just no coming back from it. I mean, whatever, it wasn’t like some serious heartbreaking sh*t—it was mostly a funny thing—but still. I wouldn’t want for that to happen to my kids, nor any other kids if I can help it.”
if you bought a VENGEANCE RUSSELL bookmark you accidentally did some nice shit haha we tricked you dummies pic.twitter.com/3OPFLFN8OJ
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) August 13, 2016
On Sunday (Aug. 21), 150 kids showed up for a fresh cut, free food and books signed by Serrano himself. Check out his sweet Twitter play-by-play of this event.
oh shit it actually worked some actual kids got some haircuts this is beautiful https://t.co/mzTMmzs8zd
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) August 21, 2016
haha yes i can sign books and no it ain’t just for mexicans https://t.co/j6nTqfA4jR
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) August 21, 2016
look how fucking beautiful this is kids been here all morning we got burgers & brisket outside too i’m so happy pic.twitter.com/J1UsNKzVoH
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) August 21, 2016
shit’s still going down still packed they’re staying open longer cuz so many kids have come out this is so lovely pic.twitter.com/O1eYN82eYR
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) August 21, 2016
these are the owners of Elite Cuts — 9237 Gulf Fwy — i’m v happy & thankful they opened up on a Sunday to do this pic.twitter.com/Aj7rJ4i3PB
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) August 21, 2016
all praises to those guys for cutting hair for 150+ kids over eight hours — i trie to tell them we’d fill it up haha — what a dope day
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) August 21, 2016
“I know this ain’t, like, some scholarships or whatever that we’re handing out,” Serrano wrote in a Twitter post. “But I also know how great I feel about myself when I get a good haircut, and so if we can put that feeling in a few kids’ chests for the first day of school, then that’s a thing I’m proud of.”
