Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

Emma Owen Blazer News Editor emmaowen@uab.edu

Serving coffee, entrées and treats with a twist, Bizarre: The Coffee Bar has been serving Birmingham since 2018 and is located less than 10 minutes from campus.

Owned by Will Harvill, Bizarre brings a unique flair to the coffee game by selling alcoholic beverages along with their coffee menu.

“We’re a coffee bar that sells alcohol, which is rare within itself,” Harvill said. “We say that’s what makes us ‘Bizarre,’ all these additional aspects of the coffee bar theme.”

Beyond being a coffee shop that sells alcohol, Harvill said his menu stands out from other coffee shops in the area.

“We’ve got nachos, we’ve got tacos, we’ve got an amazing salad, we’ve got amazing chicken salad sandwiches,” Harvill said. “Instead of the small pastries you’d find in a regular coffee bar, you’ll find a big slab of cake, key lime, red velvet (and) chocolate. Just amazing cake from an amazing baker.”

Harvill said owning this business is a labor of love. “(I love) all of it,” Harvill said. “What I brought to (Bizarre) is 20 years of management experience, plus I’m a bartender by trade.”

Harvill said the support he receives from customers keeps him driven and enthusiastic about owning a business.

“Every week when I look at my bills and think that I could go back to corporate America and be making great money, all it takes is the customers coming in and saying how much they enjoy the concept and how much they enjoy the food or enjoy our artwork,”

Harvill said. “That’s what makes me keep going.” Harvill said that when owning a business, it’s important to surround yourself with a positive support group. For him, he said his support group is his family.

“My sister (and) my brothers are very instrumental,” Harvill said. “I’ve got some cousins who are entrepreneurs who are very successful and help drive me and help motivate me.”

Harvill said owning a successful business does not happen overnight.

“It takes time, you’ll get there if you let your heart drive it,” Harvill said. “Find some cause greater than money that will motivate you.”

Harvill said community support is important for Bizarre and that he has started partnerships with other local businesses.

“We’ve bought into some local aesthetics from artists,” Harvill said. “We’ve brought in more local businesses such as our cake which is by My Sweetheart Bakery, we’ve got a local black owned coffee brand which is our house brand.”

Kareemah Harvill, sister of Bizarre’s owner, said she was enthusiastic about her brother chasing his calling to business ownership.

“(Entrepreneurship) is in his blood,” Kareemah Harvill said. “He has a really nice spot in the heart of downtown and he’s offering something that not many places are offering, so that’s exciting.

Nitin Gharpure, a customer at Bizarre, said he would recommend this coffee shop due to the cozy environment.

“It had a really nice and quiet atmosphere,” Gharpure said. “The owner (was) really friendly and it was the perfect place to grab a bite to eat between classes.” PHOTO BY EMMA OWEN/BLAZER NEWS EDITOR Will Harvill, owner of Bizarre, said owning a coffee bar is a labor of love.

Instagram: bizarre.thecoffeebar Address: 217 22nd St North

Black history in Alabama is just a car ride away

Hannah Richey Senior Staff Columnist hgrichey@uab.edu

1. Kelly Ingram Park Birmingham has been an important location for Black history in the south spanning before the Civil Rights movement and after it. For the purpose of learning about one of the most important periods in Birmingham history, here are some locations that students can visit that are just a short ride from UAB as well as some in Montgomery.

Kelly Ingram Park was the central location of the protests organized by Reverend James Bevel in May 1963. In 1992 the park was renovated alongside the founding of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute as “A Place of Revolution and Reconciliation.” The park has statues depicting the events of the protests as well as memorials of those who made the movement possible. The park has guided audio tours available by calling (205) 307-5455. The park is free to visit.

2. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was founded in November 1992. The museum is self-guided and includes exhibits showing the founding of Birmingham in 1871 to the present history of human rights. Visitors can also see special exhibits rotate. The permanent exhibits include the Barriers gallery, Confrontation gallery, Movement gallery and the Human Rights gallery. Tickets for college students are $6 with an I.D. and $15 for non-student adults.

3. Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame museum is located inside the Carver Performing Arts Theater, historically a place where African Americans were able to see first-run movies during segregation. The museum portion honors Alabama’s great Jazz musicians and seeks to educate the public about jazz’s legacy as music indigenous to the U.S. The museum contains memorabilia from notable jazz artists. They also host free jazz classes for the public every Saturday morning. Guided tours can be reserved and walk-in visitors can access the public archives

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4. 16th Street Baptist Church

The 16th Street Baptist Church was the site of a bombing by the KKK. The bombing killed four girls aged 11-14E and injured others in the area. The bombing was also part of President Johnson’s reason for passing the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Church is still in operation and anyone is welcome to join the congregation for their worship services at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. For a tour of the church, groups must have 10 or more people, but smaller groups and individuals can visit the sanctuary during operating hours.

5. Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice

The Legacy Museum was founded by the Equal Justice Initiative in 2018 and is located in Montgomery, Alabama. The museum is a history of slavery, Jim Crow and modern-day mass incarceration. The tour is self-guided and utilizes technology to show the horrors of racism in the U.S. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice is a memorial for lynching victims and can be accessed by a bus that leaves from the Legacy Museum. It contains blocks for counties with recorded lynching’s and the names of the victims. Tickets are $7 to visit both areas.