By: Devonte Booker
Steven Garrett, a 38-year-old African American who weighs 240 pounds and stands 6 foot 1 inch with a full bushy beard, broad shoulders and a big chest, is the owner of Resurrection Barbershop and pastor at Bethlehem Missionary church in Tuskegee, Alabama.
Rated the number one barber shop in Tuskegee on Facebook, Resurrection Cuts is located off of Montgomery Road five minutes down the street from the historic Tuskegee University.
For the past two decades, Steven said he has worked hard to represent what it means to live by the word of God in caring for his neighbors and community no matter what the circumstances are.
With the hardships felt during the COVID-19 pandemic, Steven said he used his love for the Lord to do what he does best as both a pastor and a barber.
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, he said at the age of 16 he knew that he wanted to be something that would impact others. He had a close relationship with his mother, Bertha Garrett, who kept him going even when he would put his head down.
He never shied away from work even when he had to get a job at the nearby department store or at a fast-food restaurant in high school to help out his mother at times.
“I wanted to earn my worth. I didn't want it given,'' he said.
He decided to head to the Deep South to attend Tuskegee University where he studied business. This was the beginning of establishing deep roots within the Macon County community.
“Tuskegee University was calling my name,” Steven said.
Coming from a strong family background, Tuskegee was a perfect fit for Steven, with it also being the place he found his wife, Christina Garrett. It was a match made in heaven, he said.
“God’s will and natural energy is what brought us together,” Steven said.
Christina Garrett said she would have to agree.
“He brings the best out of me,” Christina said. She added that he “will give you the shirt off your back if needed and will support you in a time of trouble with a smile on his face.”
Christina said that he’s got an act for cutting hair too. She noted he finds opportunities to serve both at church and the barber shop, recalling a time when he helped a family going through a tough time by helping with their groceries and bills.
“I thank the man above for allowing me to be there for others,” Steven said.
He loves being the one who others come to in a time of confusion. He said he doesn't look at it as what he is doing for others. He said he looks at it as what God can do for others through him.
One person who he helped through a gloomy time of setbacks is Nick Sylvester. He recalled, “I met him through an outreach program at his church.”
Steven gave Sylvester the opportunity to turn his life around by giving him a chance to work in his shop. Sylvester said he was in and out of jobs trying to find a stable career when God put Steven in his life.
“The relationship from the start created a bond that cannot be broken,” Sylvester said.
Through his passion of helping others, Steven showed Sylvester the way to jump start his life with a chance for employment and a steady income.
“Sylvester has taught me just as much as I have taught him,” Steven said.
Having someone with a different perspective on certain situations influenced Steven’s thinking about how to reach those who need his help and the way he teaches.
“I’m just trying to better my community, Tuskegee, Alabama, for the future ones who come after me,” Steven said.
Steven, through his work as a barber and a pastor, has brought change to his life by giving him family members of all shapes and colors to love unconditionally.
“Not one of us is perfect, and if we were this love thing would be totally needless,” Steven said. “We are all humans who make mistakes, but with love we can conquer it all.”
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