"These Black kids need to know that there are other possibilities for them besides jail, death, or becoming an athlete. There are so many more options. What we have to do is fight for these kids."
"Birmingham has changed a lot from when I grew up here. The people recognize how vibrant this city is and what all we have to offer. The food and beverage scene is crazy for the size of the city. The number of nationally renowned chefs, bars, and bartenders is incredible. To be able to use the relationships I’ve built in the bar industry has been so great."
"There are a lot of achievers and brilliant minds in Bessemer. Because of lack of support and misrepresentation in the media, we have the idea that we will boom in different cities, so we go to different places. It didn't make sense to live here and transplant my business somewhere else. There's nothing wrong with branching out, but I don't want to be a stranger in my hometown. I want to claim where I'm from."
Create Birmingham, in partnership with the Bessemer Redevelopment Corporation, is accepting applications for the CO.STARTERS fall 2023 cohort.