Houston’s next generation of coffee industry leaders aren’t waiting for an opportunity; they’re brewing it.
The Color of Coffee Collective, a Houston-based nonprofit dedicated to bringing equity and representation to the specialty coffee industry launched 1866 Coffee, a student-created coffee brand developed through the organization’s Coffee Camp program.
The new roast will debut on Nov. 5, showcasing the creativity, talentand entrepreneurial spirit of Houston’s next generation of coffee leaders.
Behind the project is Keith Hawkins, founder and CEO of the Color of Coffee Collective. He is a 28-year veteran of the specialty coffee industry. The new student-led brand is named for the year formerly enslaved Texans began building lives, businesses, and legacies in the aftermath of emancipation.
Idea brewed from a gap
Emancipation era. Credit: Jimmie Aggison
Hawkins began his career as a route driver before elevating to a Starbucks manager and entrepreneur. Along the way, he saw firsthand how rarely people who looked like him were represented at the decision-making level.
“I’ve had a great career in coffee,” he says, “but I didn’t see throughout this journey people who looked like me in rooms that made a difference. By 2020, it was clear that while everyone was talking about diversity, there was still very little action.”
According to the National Coffee Association, the total U.S. coffee industry contributes an estimated $343 billion in economic output and supports over 2.2 million jobs. Around 3% of coffee shop owners are Blackand approximately 10% of baristas are Black American, according to analyses of US Census data. Most coffee industry career pipelines, from roasting apprenticeships to green coffee importing, remain dominated by white professionals.
At the same time, the youth unemployment rate for ages 16-24 was 10.8% in July 2025, up from 9.8% the previous summer. The rate for Black youth was 14.3%, significantly higher than the overall youth rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Programs like Coffee Camp are closing that gap by providing access to real-world, transferable skills in a growing industry.
“It’s the second largest traded commodity in the world, only behind oil and gas. The revenue stream is absolutely incredible,” Hawkins says. “It’s just a matter of being able to tap into that revenue. And that’s what my goal here.”
Coffee Camp: Where skills meet purpose
to branding and storytelling. Credit: The Color of Coffee Collective
Out of that mission came Coffee Camp, a hands-on program teaching students ages 14 to 19 everything from brewing techniques to business management.
“Coffee is the vehicle,” Hawkins says. “The real goal is workforce development.”
When students come to class, they’re learning more than how to steam milk or pull espresso. They’re learning how to show up, communicate, and see themselves as capable of leadership.
“They come in, we greet each other, we brew coffeeand we talk,” Hawkins says. “Then we get into the week’s topic. This week, it’s customer service. Because serving coffee isn’t just about a drink; it’s about creating an experience.”
That approach has helped students like Paul Lewis-Snell,16, see new possibilities.
“I wanted to come to the class not just to make coffee, but to learn more about it. Where it’s from, how it worksand how it’s part of business,” Lewis-Snelll says. “We visit coffee shops and see what to do and what not to do. You can learn from your mistakes.”
1866: The spirit of Fifth Ward
Anchoring 1866 Coffee in Houston’s Fifth Ward is deeply personal for Hawkins. He grew up nearby on Lyons Avenue, watching his parents work and serve their community.
“Fifth Ward has always been part of my life,” he says. “When the opportunity came to bring specialty coffee here, it was clear this was a God-designed moment.”
The name 1866 pays tribute to the era immediately following emancipation, when newly freed Texans laid the foundation for Black economic independence. Fifth Ward was one of those places, known for its culture of entrepreneurship.
Thirteen-year-old Carsen Henry says that history inspired him.
“It makes me so proud to learn about our history this way,” he says. “We’re making this coffee to represent that and bring people out to learn about it.”
Henry’s favorite part of the program is learning how to serve the community. “It makes me feel good because I get to talk to people and give them a good first impression,” he says. “You can show your kindness, and it works the same way in the real world.”
Beyond coffee-making, Hawkins wants students to understand the full ecosystem of the industry, from accounting and logistics to importing and exporting.
“Just because you don’t see yourself in a space today doesn’t mean you can’t get there,” Hawkins says. “And if you can’t see yourself there, create the space you want to see.”
