Charles Thomas Williams has been cutting hair in the West Grove for 55 years.
A self-proclaimed “legend in the Grove,” Williams is the sole proprietor of the Charles Barber Shop, one of the last – perhaps the last – old-school Black-owned barbershops in Coconut Grove.
Since 2022, Williams has served his customers from inside a small blue building that stands apart on a quiet stretch of Grand Avenue, just west of Douglas Road.
Over the years, inside this shop and at another location next door, Williams has trimmed thousands of heads, offered up advice on life, watched over the neighborhood’s kids, and been a friend to those just looking for someone to talk to…