This article was produced by the nonprofit publication Capital & Main. It is published here with permission.
In the aftermath of the racial unrest that erupted across Los Angeles 33 years ago, many Black residents and leaders hoped to rebuild the economy by bringing back the amenities South Central had been lacking for too long. Topping the list was retail.
The elegant clothing stores that had once populated areas like the Crenshaw District through the 1960s were long gone: By 1992, it was the big chain retailers that conferred middle-class stability and that seemed to be opening everywhere except Black communities — retailers like Trader Joe’s, IKEA, Nordstrom Rack. And Target…