“The Barber of Little Rock,” an Oscar-nominated movie, screened by Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

Little Rock, Arkansas – A special showing of “The Barber of Little Rock,” a short documentary that tackles the racial wealth gap and is nominated for an Oscar in 2024, was placed on Sunday at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

The film, which was co-directed by Christine Turner and John Hoffman, centers on Arlo Washington, a guy who established a nonprofit loan fund with its headquarters located in the parking lot of his barber college.

“The film explores the racial wealth gap, and it tells my story. It tells my why. You know, how [the] People Trust community loan fund was created,” said Arlo Washington.

In 2014, Washington established the non-profit organization “People Trust” in the barber college parking lot to assist those who had trouble obtaining loans from conventional banks.

“A lot of unbanked or underbanked populations out here that just don’t know what to do. A lot of caused by fear and insecurity, fear of rejection, fear of feeling stupid, so there’s a social aspect to banking that needs to be strengthened. I believe that this film shows how it can be done,” he described.

The phrase “the American Dream” may conjure images of becoming affluent, owning a home, or simply enjoying equal opportunities with everyone else.

Washington clarified how “The Barber of Little Rock” tackles the persistent racial economic disparity that we observe daily in our neighborhoods.

“There are services that can be offered to you that never are presented to someone that, you know, is experiencing generational poverty,” he added.

Certain regions have the potential to establish divisions based on skin color, income, or perhaps even both.

“So, it’s good that it brings both ends of the world together, you know, gives the people that are experiencing generational wealth, a glimpse into what people who are experiencing generational poverty deal with,” he said. “It gives them a glimpse of what is on the other side as well.”

Washington described how the idea for the Oscar nomination originated from a straightforward talk at a barbershop to assist people in shifting their perspectives on generational poverty.

“We emerged out of unmet credit, you know. I’ve always been solutions driven but for that story to be nominated, and be, you know, at the Oscars and have the world’s attention it’s just amazing and it’s inspiring. It gives me fuel to continue to go on” he described.

Every individual in the movie discusses a variety of subjects through a series of interviews, such as the “American Dream,” ownership, equity, and the disparity in income between races.

One of the main themes of “The Barber of Little Rock” is the tenacity of Black residents of Little Rock, and People Trust is the first Black-owned bank in Arkansas. additionally to how they have triumphed despite obstacles like misfortunes and suffering.

ABC will broadcast the 2024 Oscars on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.