James “Jimmy” Mack, whose barbershop was the last Black-owned business in the historically Black Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, was honored with a mayoral proclamation at the Princeton Council’s Nov. 25 meeting.
Mack operated “Jimmy’s Barbershop” for 52 years at 141 John St., on the corner of John and Quarry streets. He presided over the barbershop – with friendly banter between himself and his customers – from 1962 to 2014.
Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin, who presented the proclamation to Mack, said giving proclamations is one of the highlights of serving on the Princeton Council – especially “to a person I love and respect, and we all love and respect.”
Newlin described Mack as “a great human being, a great humanitarian, a good person, a great family man, a good friend, a mentor – and one hell of a barber.”
The proclamation, issued by Mayor Mark Freda and read to the 50-plus attendees by Newlin and Freda, traced Mack’s path from his boyhood home in Roanoke, Va., to Princeton.
Mack, who is 94 years old, enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school in 1948. He was a machine gun operator on the USS Midway during the Korean War, but discovered a new calling when he saw a notice for a barber on the warship.
He trained as a barber on the USS Midway and became one of 10 barbers on the ship. Mack left the U.S. Navy in 1952 and moved to Princeton to work alongside his uncle and brother at Mack’s Sanitary Barbershop at 146 Witherspoon St.
He left Mack’s Sanitary Barbershop to open his own business in 1962 and named it Jimmy’s Barbershop. Over the years, the barbershop created a cultural hub that reached far beyond haircuts. It became a sanctuary of community, the proclamation said.
Sitting in Jimmy Mack’s barber chair was more than a haircut. It was a dive into rich conversations about life, sports, politics and culture, with Mack as – both the stylist and storyteller – that left an indelible mark on every customer’s heart, it said.
“The memories of the old-school barbershop pole, the stacks of magazines and the catchy refrain of ‘Jimmy, Jimmy, oh Jimmy Mack'” evoke nostalgia and honor the cultural significance of his barbershop in the community, the proclamation said.
As Newlin read “the catchy phrase of ‘Jimmy, Jimmy, oh Jimmy Mack'” and spontaneously added “when are you coming back,” the audience broke out into laughter and applause.
“Jimmy Mack” – no relation to Princeton’s barber – is a song popularized by the Detroit Motown group Martha and the Vandellas in 1967.
The proclamation noted that Jimmy Mack’s barbershop and Mack himself served as a cornerstone of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, symbolizing strength, perseverance and self-sufficiency.
“As the last African-American business owner in a historically rich neighborhood once filled with family-run enterprises, Jimmy represents a living testament to the resilience and contributions of the Black community in Princeton,” the proclamation said.
The proclamation wrapped up by stating that the mayor and Princeton Council “hereby honors James ‘Jimmy’ Mack for his profound impact on the Princeton community, recognizing him as a true legend whose legacy will continue to inspire future generations.”
Mack, who was sitting in the audience with his wife, Audrey, replied “thank you” to Newlin and the Princeton Council as Freda handed him a copy of the proclamation and Newlin presented a bouquet of flowers to his wife.
