Los Angeles has countless Black-owned businesses within the city and county. With Black History Month here, let us take a look at some businesses that have not only been operating for more than a decade, but continue to make a positive impact in the communities in which they are based. Through their work, they continue to write the history of the City of Angels.
KJLH Radio Station (Photo Credit: Stan Thomas / Kanale Creations)
1. KJLH
When driving into the Los Angeles area, tune your radio to 102.3 on your FM dial. That is where you’ll find station KJLH. The call letters affectionately stand for Kindness, Joy, Love, and Happiness.
KJLH is owned by Grammy award–winning singer-songwriter, producer, and activist Stevie Wonder. It is one of only two Black-owned radio stations in Southern California (the other one being KBLA). The station has been owned and operated independently since 1965 when it was known as KFOX. Wonder bought the station in 1979.
The station is home to the Steve Harvey Morning Show, which became the number one syndicated morning show in America. KJLH has also been at the forefront of the music scene, skillfully navigating changes in format from R&B/soul to jazz to hip-hop to the current urban contemporary format. Spread the Word, the popular Gospel program on Sundays, has been fronted by its original host, Aundrae Russell, for more than 25 years. Events hosted by the station include the Women’s Health Expo and the Men’s Empowerment Summit. Their website includes a community business directory, where many local businesses are featured.
A dedication to and involvement with the community is the main reason KJLH is still around after more than 50 years. “…[P]eople will come here with all types of questions and they look to us to be the answer,” Russell shares. To back that up the claim, KJLH continues to be a public service outlet. During the uprising following the 1992 Rodney King verdicts, the station stopped playing music and went to a talk radio format, giving an on-air voice to the community to discuss the situation. Following Hurricane Katrina, the station helped support victims of the disaster by sending material and financial aid.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel, Russell summed it up best: “KJLH started off as a community station… and it is still a community station.” And they still play great music.
Stan Thomas / Kanale Creations
2. Eso Won Books
Eso Won Books has been around since 1988. Owners James Fugate and Tom Hamilton met at Compton College, where Fugate managed the college’s bookstore. After moving a couple of times, they settled on their …….
Source: https://www.travelawaits.com/2730352/historic-black-owned-businesses-in-los-angeles/