Editor's note: This story is part of an ongoing series for Arts Access examining the health and well-being of our North Texas arts economy.
Outside the Globe Life Field North Plaza, the scent of shea butter and catfish fills the air. Food vendors line the lot, offering everything from homemade beignets to custom-flavored wings. Business owners bustle around as DJs blast throwback R&B music from a stage near the entrance.
This is Black on the Block, a semiannual flea market showcasing Black-owned businesses, which took over Arlington last weekend. Over 9,000 people bought tickets to the event.
“It's like a big old family reunion, and we don't even know each other,” attendee Stace Stevens said, dancing his way to the stage.
Founded in June 2021 in Los Angeles by sisters Lanie and Char Edwards, Black on the Block has become a cultural hub across the country for entrepreneurship, artistry and community engagement. The festival expanded to North Texas in 2023 and typically highlights over 170 Black-owned businesses in industries such as fashion, skin care, technology and art. Plus, there’s food vendors and live performances. This year marked the fifth time the event was hosted in North Texas.
“Dallas is one of our favorite cities to come to,” co-founder Lanie Edwards said. “They show the most love and they really understand the assignment of shopping the vendors. Pretty much every single person leaves with a bag in their hand, so that's what we want the tone to be set for every city."
While most vendors were local to Dallas, some traveled from out of state to expand their reach. Courtney Brown, a sensitive-skin care entrepreneur from Los Angeles, brought her handcrafted products to the market, eager to connect with new customers. As a regular vendor at the L.A. edition of Black on the Block and similar markets like the Black Market Flea, Brown has built her business on community trust and shared experiences.
“This has given me the ability to live through my own creativity,” Brown said.
Brown noted that while L.A. and North Texas differ, the cultural similarities within the Black community remain strong. For her, these markets are more than a shopping experience, they're spaces that help Black entrepreneurs and creatives thrive during a time when she feels the Black community is being erased.
“We're taking our own power back into our own hands,” Brown said. “Which is allowing us to build up things that we never had before, right. [We’re] able to work together and have these spaces where we can see each other thrive.”
Beyond fashion, food and skin care, Black on the Block featured vendors offering things you wouldn't expect to see at an average flea market. Take Kalyea Terrell for example.
Terrell’s booth resembled a mini day spa, surrounded by children’s chalk drawings, floating bubbles and on-site massage treatments. But her mission was deeper than relaxation. She was there representing her company Big Wave Swim Academy, an organization providing swim lessons for all ages.
With summer approaching, Terell wanted to raise awareness about the disproportionately high drowning rates among Black Americans. As a lifelong swimmer and lifeguard, she has seen how a lack of representation in aquatic spaces affect Black children.
“There's a huge problem here and it shows in our kids.” Terell said. “The next generation are watching and because they're watching, they're stepping back from the pool because they don't see anyone else, either.”
Terrell hopes events like Black on the Block can change that narrative and empower her community to embrace water safety.
Black on the Block plans to expand to Atlanta, Detroit and Houston this year. Dallasites can expect to see another event in October.
“This is not just an L.A. movement, it's a worldwide movement of supporting Black-owned businesses and continuing to show up for each other,” Edwards said.
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