‘A good heart’: Viral man who gave a homeless person a haircut in Waco graduates barber school

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - James Rangel, of Robinson, Texas, was incarcerated in the early 2000s. Nearly two decades later, he has turned his life around, and on March 30, officially became a barber school graduate.

He graduated from barber school after spending the past year and a half balancing school with a full-time job.

”I made it all the way to the 11th grade and I went to 3 different high schools and I dropped out,” Rangel said.

In 2020 a photo of him cutting a homeless person’s hair for free went viral on Facebook.

”Out of the 100 cars that pass by, 99 might think I’m weird or whatever but that one car might think about God,” Rangel said.

Two years later, Rangel applied for a full tuition scholarship to get his barber’s license at Champions Barber and Beauty Academy in Waco.

”I didn’t win so when I didn’t win I was like, ‘oh no, I felt like I was supposed to win,’” Rangel said.

But the scholarship only covered tuition at cosmetology school, not barber school.

”Living check to check is hard, one little thing and you could end up in a hole,” Rangel said.

Touched by his story, the academy’s owner pitched in $4,000 while the community covered the other $6,000.

”I feel like I’m just out there with a good heart and people see it and they like it and it’s a positive thing,” Rangel said.

Rangel’s good heart gave him the opportunity to go to and graduate from barber school.

”I really do believe that if you work for God, he’ll work for you,” Rangel said.

As far as future plans, Rangel is working on a comic book that will cover his story of giving back to homeless people. After that, he will either start his own mobile barber business or work at a barber shop in the area.