The Oh 3: The Vicinity Around Foundation One & Unity Barber Shop
A new series that explores the positives in & fights the noise about the 46803 zip code
Foundation One was out there “being disobedient, not listening to my mom, being possessed by demons” when he was shot after coming out of a dope house, where he was working, when some dude asked him to tie his shoe. The bullet was from a .38 Special revolver.
“I asked my creator if I was going to die and the creator said ‘no, but I need you to operate in your purpose.’ I asked if I could do it right here in my community. The creator said yes,” Foundation recalled.
Foundation One has purposely operated out of Unity Barber Shop, 921 East Pontiac St., every day for 25 years. Most of our readers know this because Foundation has been an irrevocable promise to the city, to the Oh 3 zip. “You have to understand, why God did that?” he said referencing the gun shot moment. “He knew that today I would be saving many lives.” His old crew kept going, living that life; they went into a house and a man was killed.
Foundation rehabbed his body at the old Old Fort YMCA, found spiritual replenishment when he met Titus Underwood (“Rest in Peace”), Sam Underwood, and Gaylon Howard. Barber Roger Miller gave him a copy of the Autobiography of Malcom X. He never knew his father growing up, so, of course, Foundation One has been a father figure.
His work? (Long list coming.) He’s cut the heads for probably about over 70 deceased individuals at funeral homes, has been a court advocate to speak on their behalf about over 100 defendants, created ten-week anger workshops that have been held at Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne (over 8 times), Urban League, Weisser Park Center, Smith Academy, the Wood Youth Center. “We look at how anger effects their life.” He’s had over five candlelight vigils through his barber shop with over 500 people showing up; they all marched down to the MLK Bridge. Gang members and former gang members come to him to help reconcile.
It’s one of those things where you hate to see him so busy; it means he’s attempting to reconcile a beef. Fort Wayne has once again seen a string of shootings. Foundation One may or may not get the call to help.
Father figure. Healer. “I would describe myself as someone who lives in a community of hardworking individuals who are trying to do their best and maintain a good living and take care of their family,” Foundation said. He pivoted. “The negative is those people who don’t appreciate and support community as they should. I guarantee there are more positives than negatives.”
Close from Unity Barber Shop, there’s Vincent Village, that nonprofit that provide families who’ve fallen on hard times with their own homes. The Pontiac Mall is down the street. There are mechanic shops, tire shops, “an abundance of churches and people who work hard,” Foundation said.“I’ve seen a decrease in businesses,” he said. “A lot of people don’t believe the inner city is worth investing in. God exists in every area of society. The negative can’t be the reasons people don’t invest in our community.”
Foundation isn’t going to leave the Oh 3; he grew up in Eden Green Apartments around the corner from his shop. But folks have come up and bounced. It’s not a matter of retaining talent for Foundation; you don’t have to remain in his zip code. “We love the fact you made it out the inner city but if you have spiritual gifts, come back in and mentor a young brother who doesn’t have that father figure or doesn’t have that support…volunteer to help save lives.”
Be like Harriet Tubman, he said, who came back to free 1300 slaves once she escaped herself. “You got to always come back in to help those who are there.”
Left and middle: Foundation One, Unity Barbershop. Right: 986 Black Expo, held on Pontiac St., framed inside Unity Barber Shop
I run Scrambled Egg(s) Design and Productions, based out of Northeast Indiana. In addition to producing in-house company projects, I also create advertising materials for companies and organizations, with an emphasis on interactivity.