Cover Stories Leimert Park Village: Home of Black Business in L.A.
Leimert Park Village is rapidly establishing itself as one of the most important Black business and cultural neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
The area in the middle of a bustling cultural neighborhood hosting a great deal of festivals and housing more than 100 Black-owned businesses.
The Leimert Park Village includes a shopping district with an Afro-centric focus that is bounded by Crenshaw Boulevard on the west, 43rd Street on the south, Leimert Boulevard on the east, and Vernon Avenue on the north.
The Leimert Park Village serves as a monument to the successes of companies run and controlled by Black people.
Leimert Park’s established Black-owned market sellers transformed into major donors to the larger South Los Angeles economic engine.
A wide range of the neighborhood’s Black businesses have benefited from consumer foot traffic as well as supported the emergence of the neighborhood's sense of community.
The Leimert Park Village stands out for the cultural enrichment due its art galleries, daily musical performances, and seminars for dance and theater.
Places like the Hot and Cool Café, located at 331 Degnan Blvd., serve as a meeting venue for locals and provides a homework destination for kids living nearby.
The business hosts social gatherings, concerts and viewing parties. Hot and Cool Cafe even operated as a voting site during the 2020 elections.
This Black-owned, family-run cafe was established in 2018 and is situated in the center of Leimert Park Village. The founders aim to increase access to plant-based food for those who may not otherwise have it.
Since September 2022, Leimert Park has held weekly Market for Black Women Vendors, which takes place every Wednesday evening with Black female entrepreneurs present their goods.
Additionally, the program teaches individuals how to expand their street selling businesses and collaborates with California legislators to make it faster to operate as a street vendor.
Leimert Park is not just a neighborhood with houses and apartment buildings; it is also a bustling Black commercial area that is welcoming to families and artistic events.
People who reside in or around Leimert have grown used to the melodies of entertainment filling the streets or the aromas of delicious meals arising from nearby eateries and street vendors.
Another retail spot in Leimert Park is Sole Folks, located at 4317 Degnan Blvd.
The store serves as a center for the community, producing workshops, events, and offer programming that are culturally significant.
Sole Folks provide information and resources in addition to being a store that sells clothes, sneakers and other goods.
There are ongoing efforts to maintain the Black culture of this neighborhood and consistent initiatives to fight the increasing gentrification that is presently occurring in the historic African American region.
Organizations like the non-profit Black Owned and Operated Community Land Trust (BOOCLT) assist in spreading the word about “buying Black the block.”
A group of Black business owners known as BOOCLT is on a mission to protect the local Black area from commercial real estate developers who do not support community protection.
The organization’s mission includes building Black-owned, wealth-building properties; various resources to assist and preserve local culture; and campaigns to secure the support for future generations.
Leimert Park Village stands as a tribute to the accomplishments of Black-owned-and-operated businesses and organizations.
Supporters are working to ensure that the community survives and thrives well into the future and continues to benefit a large segment of the Black community in Los Angeles.)