The next time you are visiting Los Angeles, look for a 48-foot-long pink mobile trailer with the words “Prosperity Market: Not Your Average Farmers Market” etched on the side. Inside is a range of Black-owned produce, food, and local goodies, thanks to friends Carmen Dianne and Kara Still, who are making it easier to support Black farmers, food producers, and businesses in California with their rolling market.
The market-on-wheels was an idea born during a pandemic marked by social unrest, supply shortages, and a collapse in Black-owned business ownership — a report from the U.S. Black Chambers found an estimated 41% of Black businesses nationwide closed during that time.
Against that backdrop, both women had challenged each other to buy everything they needed for a day from Black-owned businesses but realized they couldn’t. Another jarring pandemic memory was watching grocery shelves go empty of the most essential thing: food. While supply chain issues created longer lines and shortages nationwide, they noticed these problems were exacerbated within Black communities.
“California is one of the largest agricultural-producing states in the country, but also has one of the highest rates of food insecurity,” Still told Travel Noire. “We were also one of the states that had the highest closures for Black-owned businesses during the pandemic, so we were looking into how we could do something that could create both an economic and a food access impact.”
They found one reason for the disconnect is that there are simply not enough Black-owned businesses for essential services and items such as groceries. After months of research, Prosperity Market became the answer to ensuring Black businesses, especially within the food industry, are more sustainable. Their original goal was always the farmers-market-on-wheels trailer, but funding delays and building challenges slowed progress. Instead of waiting, the friends started hosting pop-up markets across Los Angeles in 2021 to get the word out and garner support that could translate into funding.
“When we did our first event, we had about 15 vendors, all from cold calls and outreach we did. They believed in us,” said Dianne. “They taught us a lot about the food system, the local and regional supply chains, and community. We were able to introduce ourselves to the community and learn the nuances of a business like this.”
Securing Funding To Expand Prosperity Market In LA
Getting the word out, hosting pop-up markets, and building with the community laid the foundation for something bigger: a 48-foot mobile market. Dianne and Still received a grant from the JLH Social Impact Fund, created by Jrue & Lauren Holiday, to support Black entrepreneurs and change makers. The grant gave them the foundation for a match through a crowdfunding campaign and connected them with other organizations that mentored them through the scaling process.
After five years in the making, Dianne and Still debuted their pink solar-powered farmers-market-on-wheels. They’ve come a long way from the 15 vendors in their first pop-up market to over 40 permanent local and regional vendors both online and in the market. The events Dianne and Still host throughout the city can bring even more Black-owned vendors. Visitors and locals alike will find brands like Got Damn Sauce, Ghost Town Oats, and Station 1923, home of the iconic “Black People Spaghetti Seasoning.”
“We want people to feel the intention and love that we put into Prosperity Market and the care we put into curating the products we have,” Dianne said when asked what she hopes people will feel when they enter or support Prosperity Market.
“We created a platform where every single thing you purchase is created, curated, and served to you with the intention of creating an impact for every single business that we represent and every community member that experiences us,” Still added.
Find where the pink trailer is rolling next by visiting the market’s website. For the times you’re having serious FOMO because you’re not in LA, shop online until your next return.
