Celebrating Compton’s Black Exchange

COMPTON (THE BULLETIN) – Compton’s Black Exchange focuses on small Black businesses coming together and networking. So, for the weekend of Juneteenth, more than a dozen small businesses gathered in the parking lot of the Grocery Outlet just outside of Central Avenue Rosecrans Avenue to offer the community a whiff of their products.

Compton’s Black Exchange has a unique flavor to it. The environment featured food trucks, hip hop music to listen to and plain old vibes all around. Outside of vendors selling romantic candles, promoting tattoo services, and offering fragrances, free haircuts were also being offered to the community.         

If you want top-of-the-line tattoos, you just need to check out RichHennaByJenn. The owner of this tattoo business has been pulling up to Compton to take part in Compton’s Black Exchange for the past four years. After receiving an invitation several years ago, this budding entrepreneur from Phoenix, Arizona, says she has a lot of love for the city of Compton.

“The first time I came I fell in love,” she said. “Compton has a special place in my heart. It just hugs me every time I come, and I just love to hug it back. It just gives, gives, gives. So, anytime I am invited or able to come here, I’m pulling up.”

Selah Kouture’s brand is Selah Kouture Boutique, which sells off women’s earrings and other adoring ornaments. For her, she was happy to come out to be part of the celebratory weekend of enjoying Juneteenth.

“Because I wasn’t introduced to Juneteenth at a young age…I didn’t start learning about Juneteenth until after high school and then I realized the importance of celebrating and understanding our history, you know, the good and the bad of it,” Kouture said.

“The fact that they made it a federal holiday and allow us to celebrate it and everyone to celebrate us and what we have been through and how we’ve overcome, I think it’s great. Out here in the community, everybody has a reason to come out. We like to celebrate so, we’re out here celebrating, supporting one another and we’re having fun,” Kouture added.

Kimme Owens, the owner of Kimme Treats, enjoys the camaraderie of Compton’s Black Exchange and what it has to offer.

“This event is very important because I love the way the Black entrepreneurs get together in one area and we can share our thoughts, our brands, our wisdom to everyone around us,” said Owens. “I love it because we’re in the heart of Compton. This is where it is. I love being here.”   

Photos by Dennis J. Freeman