Mr. Moore's Barbershop

James T. Moore Sr. moved to Arlington from North Carolina in the early 1950s to join his friend Rudolph Becton in opening a barbershop. They opened B&M Barbershop up the road from the current Mr. Moore’s location, serving primarily Black customers who were not welcomed elsewhere due to entrenched racism at the time. They brought with them the small-town barbershop charm and welcoming feel that helped the business grow and thrive. Mr. Becton then decided to move home to North Carolina, selling his share to Mr. Moore. B&M Barbershop became Mr. Moore’s Barbershop, opening at its current location in 1960. 

Over the years, Mr. Moore’s Barbershop has become an icon of Langston Boulevard. Current second-generation owner Jim Moore (Jr.) states that the barbershop started as a sort of men’s social club because Black people in Arlington did not have many options for getting together in then-segregated Arlington. From early on, Mr. Moore’s welcomed Black and White customers, and the shop became a place where neighbors from along the Langston corridor could get together, share their successes and failures, and help each other.

Jim Moore grew up in the barbershop, sweeping up and cleaning on his way home from school starting at seven. Jim credits these early experiences with learning a work ethic, understanding fiscal responsibility, and, perhaps more importantly, interacting successfully with others in the community. As a kid, he saw firsthand how adults should interact and communicate through the conversations at the barbershop. He notes that this is still an essential role of the barbershop since many kids don’t learn how to relate and communicate properly by living mainly in the digital world.

Jim originally learned to cut hair to help out his dad but did not initially think he would take over the shop; in fact, he went on to have a long career with the Arlington County Fire Department instead. He continued cutting hair at the shop on his off days and ended up cutting most of his fellow firefighters’ hair at the fire station. Realizing the barbershop's importance to the community, Jim returned after retirement from the fire department and began taking over from his dad. To help other young men succeed, Jim created an apprentice program by sponsoring them through barber school and then letting them work in the shop. He believes it is good to know the trade as a backup for them even if they don’t stay at the barbershop.

Jim thinks Mr. Moore’s Barbershop and all legacy businesses in the community are critical because they are “a connection to the past and a way to the future.” These businesses hold the stories and heritage of our community while also providing environments that show us how society is supposed to work. They teach us how to interact with each other and work communally despite our different backgrounds. That is why he thinks it is so important for Mr. Moore’s to continue.