USC

BSA hosts the first SCBlack Flea Market

In celebration of Black History Month, USC students reflect on the themes of reclamation through resistance, rebirth and reconciliation at student-run market.

Photo of student looking at art booth at BSA Flea Market.

(Photo by Jason Goode)

By Tyler Pak and Weiwei Huang

The USC Black Student Assembly hosted its first ever SCBlack Flea Market on Friday to promote Black entrepreneurs in the community.

Senior Miles Mogush, the Special Events Chair of SCBlack Flea Market majoring in business administration, said this event is very important for “giving us this opportunity to network while we’re on USC campus [and] to meet each other.”

The event, which took place from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Founders Park, featured live entertainment and over 18 Black-owned businesses selling food, fashion products, art, cosmetic services and more.

Kyra Horton is a junior majoring in political science and a vendor at the event. As a spoken word poet, she sold her book of poetry, “Cries of A Butterfly,” which became one of the most popular products in today’s flea market.

“I want to share my art. I want to have something that people can connect to or something that I’m proud of to put out into the world,” Horton said.

Kai Cayetano, a senior majoring in narrative studies who visited the event said, “I think it helps a lot of students get their business up there or have their business get around.”

This year, USC’s theme for Black History Month is “Reclamation through Resistance, Rebirth through Reconciliation.” People at the flea market shared their thoughts about how the theme is presented through this event.

“It’s highlighting Black businesses and keeping Black dollars within the Black communities, and bringing other money into the Black communities,” Horton said.

Senior Wynton Jones majoring in theatre sold upcycled clothes and accessories at the event. They said that they wanted to bring fashionable products with affordable prices to this event because of rising costs in Los Angeles. “[There is] such an inflation of price, you have to pay so much just to give you stuff,” Jones said.

Black families will suffer the worst effects of rising inflation due to disparities between Black and white households in income, wealth, financial savings and home ownership, according to a study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis in 2022.

Makayla Howard, a senior majoring in fine arts selling her abstract art printmakings said that the wealth gap makes this event important. “Black people are empowered to sell their work and to create businesses,” Howard said.

A student majoring in human biology, Maleah Allen, bought a handmade bracelet in the flea market. “I think it’s very important to bring empowerment because people really don’t appreciate the things we do very well,” Allen said.

The SCBlack Flea Market is one of the first events held at USC to celebrate Black History Month. More events are on the way for students to enjoy and raise awareness about equity.