Once-promising Black Wall Street Market in Georgia closes, vendors criticize management and short notice
The New Black Wall Street Market in Stonecrest once held promise to be a thriving epicenter for Black business owners in DeKalb County.
The market was located inside of what used to be a Target store, a facility at roughly 125,00 square-feet. It was described as being inspired by the history of "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, OK.
The market opened in the fall of 2021, with thousands of visitors and what would turn out to be a time period that reflected the peak of the market's popularity. That's according to Baba G, an artisan vendor who was packing up a rented U-Haul full of his storefront's items.
G said he's had his shop located inside of the market since the beginning. His crafted jewelry has been worn by celebrities, most notably Angela Bassett in Black Panther.
"It was shooooooo, straight to the top in the beginning, and so many people were so happy to experience it," G said. "The economy was on the shift for the last few years. It's just a matter of time."
Baba G, like the dozens of others who called the market home, is now forced to figure out what's next. He said this is reminiscent of the Phoenix, as he awaits his work and life to rise again throughout this mishap.
"I'll take the time now and reflect on that," G said. "I'm looking for a new shop right now. I spotted something in the neighborhood."
Another vendor, who said she was forced out at 5 p.m. as the lights were shut off on the remaining vendors inside working to pack their items, said her nearly two years as a tenant were awful.
"I always paid my rent on time, and I'm leaving here with a zero balance," she said. "It was just bad communication. The management is horrible, and I can just go on and on and on. It was always third-party conversations. You never really knew what the truth was."
She said they were given less than 30 days' notice that the market would be closing, and that they had to have everything either sold or removed by the 30th.
"She gave us a letter saying that we had to be out by April 30th. Mind you, we paid rent through April 30th, but we're not able to sell through April 30th because we have to get our goods out by April 30th."
She went on to say management did not upkeep the building, pushback was given on some vendors who raised concerns and spoke up, and an overall lack of direct communication.
The General Manager was on site while CBS News Atlanta was there. We were not allowed inside the building, and she politely declined to comment.