Los Angeles, CA (News4usonline) – The month of February is a month many behold in terms of the endearing perseverance of what it means to be Black. Being a Los Angeles native, the city is ripe with hidden festivities during Black History Month.
The neighborhood of Leimert Park is not as lively on Sunday, Feb. 15, but attending the Pan African Film Festival ArtFest event was a surprise I much needed to rediscover. The familiar spirit of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza – where the event was being hosted – quickly faded into a feeling of obscurity.
Vendors scarcely dispersed throughout the halls of the shopping mall resided proudly by their merchandise. Attendees and vendors alike, most of whom did not consent to be interviewed but offered commentary, spoke of the lack of promotion pertaining to the event that afternoon.
The Pan African Film Festival has had a record being unorganized in the role out of its events. Many of the vendors present vocalized a common concern for how the festivals’ organizers mismanaged the affair.
Scheduled to be taking place from Feb. 7 and ending on Feb. 16 (Presidents Day), a sparse crowd of people attended the event as though it was a typical evening. Asha Sun, owner of Mineral Medicines, gave me the privilege to converse with her pertaining to the ongoing event that day.
Warm and welcoming, she was honestly candid about her perspective of the event’s turn out. A sight that mutually disappointed us both. A local artist whose love for her community is admirable, Sun stated her purpose.
“This Sunday I came to share some of my handmade creations, sharing energy healing and copper with the community.” Identifying herself to be multicultural and declaring her love for the space and its people her “yin-folk,” Sun continued to advocate for the community’s recognition of its cultural significance.
“Also, just encouraging the community to come out here, and immerse themselves in local culture from over here and across our states, and the diaspora, she said.
A curator of all things natural and real, Sun gave me a quick rundown to me on how her business works.
“I work with natural materials like crystals, gemstones, shells, things that are from the Earth. And I give them back to the Earth through the people.”
Sun says that her business is a gift to the Earth in which she seeks to bestow to the world in her own way.
“So these are like ancient medicines,” Sun remarked. “I call them mineral medicines, because they’re all made of different minerals. You know how we eat different minerals for our physical health, our internal health, our liver and stuff like that. We can use the elements that are comprised of the world.”
Looking around at her own merchandise, Sun radiates esteem.
“Sometimes you’ll see these in a cave, and not even realize ‘oh I’m surrounded by crystals’. We just break them down, polish them, and make them look really nice.”
Sun was glad to allow me a front row seat in her array of intricately crafted jewelry, each detailed and refined in their own uniqueness.
“So yeah, I come here to teach and educate people how we can better connect to the Earth through these medicines.”
Her work is her personal badge of honor – her lifeline. Events such as ArtFest are only one of many, however it is the hearts of the people themselves who give fuel to their atmospheres, drawing people in with a magnitude and bond.
“I look forward to just being met with authenticity.” A sentiment we both shared through conversation. “I feel like with our community, our authenticity is unmatched.” “The way we show up as ourselves, through ourselves, by ourselves, with ourselves, it’s a cloak of power that can be dressed up or down.”
Sun, who is a well known face at the event, engages with her peers with pure aura.
“And seeing that within people that feel like family is just beautiful,” she said.
Older generations of Los Angeles natives have always viewed landmarks like the Crenshaw Mall as a sacred hub. The titular spot is located directly nearby the influential Lulu Washington Dance Theatre, and Leimert Park, another sub-section of the city of Inglewood – a mecca of its own close in walking distance.
I myself have had the luxury of immersing myself in its treasures. From the popular annual Juneteenth event it hosts, to the drum circles you can experience every Sunday afternoon, the city is rich in celebrating Blackness at every waking moment. Sun shared her past memories herself, specifically regarding ArtFest.
“I first experienced this event when I was in elementary or middle school. Local schools in Los Angeles have field trips where they bring classes of the students where they come to watch films at the theater. I work at a home school, and we’re bringing our kids on Wednesday,” she said.
Sun went on to say that the diaspora of the motherland has birthed its own kingdom is only a small, but prevalent pocket of Los Angeles.
“This market has always brought in an immense amount of culture from all over the world,” stated Sun. “You can find things from Ethiopia, you can find things from the Congo. You can find things from the elders who are out here from Michigan. I think this place has always shown us how interwoven we are within just being here. You know how they say the world is such a small place? It really is.”
The tapestry of what is old and what is new is what syncs everyone in places like Inglewood, and the Crenshaw Mall specifically. It is filled with Black owned businesses, such as the popular Southern Girl Desserts, to the holistic handcrafted hair and skin care goods of Nena’s Organics. Black entrepreneurs in the city of Inglewood place intention and effort into their services, passing down a passion for younger folks to aspire to.”
“A lot of elders who used to come here and have been here, are friends with the celebrities we idolize. Their parents, the original artists that birthed these legends in our era.” Sun displayed with pride. “It kinda makes me sad that we don’t have the whole hustle and bustle of culture that we had about 15 years ago. Or longer than that.”
We discussed the forthcoming future that promises to hold space for future generations of Black people. Spaces like PAFF who pride themselves in the purpose of championing Black creatives in their respective industries have steadily begun to lose traction.
With topics surrounding the recurring gentrification of Inglewood, the future sometimes feels uncertain in regards to the longevity of the hidden gems in our backyard.
“We need everyone in the city to come turn back up at the Crenshaw Mall in February for the ArtFest. Not just the film festival, but for the ArtFest as well.”
Sun continues, passionate with protest. “This is how we pour the culture back into the city.”
We discussed the potential future of events such as ArtFest, and their importance. However the lingering question remained quietly felt, but ultimately unsaid: do we truly care enough about the future of Black enterprise?
And what can be done better for the integrity of Black creatives who rely on events like ArtFest to offer them a real platform? The answer is us. How can we as a people do more, instead of simply wanting more? The answer lies in the accountability the community is called to take.
“We’re all a mirror. We’re all able to provide each other some form of expansion and reflection.” Sun proclaimed. “It’s an overflow.”
Aside from generations of Black people coming together to convene in spaces like the Crenshaw Plaza and events like ArtFest, the missing ingredient that is required is love.
The love that feeds people’s appreciation to lift up others whose experiences are reflected onto themselves. The desire for more roots to be laid so that there is never a drought in our collective potential. Speaking to the power of ArtFest during Black History Month, Sun answers simply.
“It means Black future. It means us future. “It’s like a consolation.” “That excellence is a continuous process.”
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