William Johnson was the 16th US President Abraham Lincoln’s barber. He was also a black man. This brief article by Matthew Bell explores the impact that this unknown figure in history would have had on Lincoln’s Barber “It’s conjecture, but it’s not entirely out of line to venture that Johnson and Lincoln had the same kind of rapport you have with your barber today. In fact, it could well have been more intimate, given the expanse of Johnson’s duties. Regardless, this much is clear: Johnson served as Lincoln’s most personal and direct connection to black America at the time.”