To the editor:
After 56 years of cutting hair in the West Grove with a couple of location changes, progress caught up to Charles Thomas Williams. The quaint blue building that housed his barber shop on Grand Avenue was scheduled to be demolished.
The official deadline was September 30 and, because of this unique situation, Charles was allowed to stay until the last possible moment of D-Day (Demolition Day).
In the meantime, Charles faced this uncertainty with his usual stoic calmness that had served him through the years of changes. He would often say, “I just play the hand I was dealt.”
Fully aware that retirement would inevitably happen, Charles wasn’t quite ready to hang up his hair clippers yet. Close friends and others with whom this story resonated felt compelled to do whatever they could to help.
Read more: The Last Days of a Black Barbershop in Coconut Grove
The question arose: could there be a little corner to preserve the Old West Coconut Grove for the “Grovites” who have lived there for generations, amidst all the growth and expansion of the present and future Coconut Grove?
Would it be possible to relocate again to provide the local community with an affordable, comfortable place to go to, and could this also become a quaint place to visit for newcomers and tourists to take a look at and also preserve the unique history?
Charles continued to show up each day to do what he always did – take care of his customers with the faith and determination that had served him so well over many years.
Charles’ mindset may well have been influenced by Coach Nathaniel “Traz” Powell from his high school football team who was like a father figure to the team: “We never give up, we never give up, we hustle, hustle, hustle.”
There’s a saying that “It takes a village” and so it was, people connecting with people, sharing a common goal of saving Charles’ Little Barbershop.
And then it all came together at a charming little place about 35 yards east of his little blue building, at 3757 Grand Avenue, with a sign that states, “Charles Barber Shop Entrance in the Alley.”
The area was updated and renovated with a new floor, new customer chairs, counter space with newly designed drawers for storage, lighting fixtures, new toilet for the bathroom, little refrigerator, and last, but not least, Charles’ signature green plants hanging from the ceiling, ready to move in after transferring items from his old shop. (One other item on his wish list would be a sturdy, comfortable barber’s chair to replace the one that has served him for so many years.)
Yes, indeed, Charles would not be retiring today.
His heart was full of gratitude, taking one day at a time. Charles Williams shared his philosophy: “You must learn how to grow old. If you don’t, you will not make it.”
Dr. W. Eugene Jackson
Coconut Grove
