Black Mall
Poem (audio) + w/ Poll and written commentary on mall lore
Plenty of thoughts and observations from the mall ahead!
***LIKE & SHARE: poem, commentary and fun poll***
Du-rags and Kangols;
African geles and Sunday church hats;
dreds and glistened bald heads;
so fresh, so fly afros and fades;
braids and long weaved 'dos;
leopard skin flats;
thigh high stilletto boots;
old man alligator shoes;
blinged-out jewelry and totes;
tees with ironed-on ghetto quotes;
loud and colorful suits
matching the crowd
of (mostly) brown ebony and proud;
bustling barber shop smack dab
in the middle of mall madness;
full scale beauty supply so fab
with premium products for hair tresses
human and synthetic;
dashiki dressed salesmen doin' their shtick
squirting dabs of shea butter lotion
on the supple wrist of willing souls
and selling miscellaneous trinkets;
kiosk rasta sista girl giving out a portion
of sweet soul food treats;
mall guards maddoggin', makin' a big huff
(then) quick to turn a blind eye
To folks ‘cuz “he don't get paid enough
to care and do rent-a-cop duties”;
brothas ogling at bouncing booties
passing their way while getting the rebuff
from the bootylicious baes
scantily clad neck to thigh
shaped like a perfect hourglass
in skin tight hotpants hugging the skin;
old school soul, R&B, smooth jazz and hip hop
blasting throughout the mall
along with classic pop;
boisterous banter and laughter
often draining the music out;
sale announcements from the intercom
persistently shouted-out;
brothas greeting one another with a "hey man,
help a brotha out?"
or with an extended giving of dap
and likewise, sistas with a "hey sista"
with less or no dap-
even if they all really can't stand each other
and just don't give a crap about one another;
food court Cajun shrimp and catfish;
variety of choices as side dish
from candied yams to collard greens;
mac n cheese to red beans;
baked beans and franks;
country fried chicken;
rib-stickin' barbecue wings;
smothered pork chop and sausage hot links;
sweet iced tea and punch-like drinks;
peach cobbler and banana pudding;
pecan and sweet potato pie-
my oh my!
and yes, a stand-alone health monitor
nearby to check for blood pressure.
Yeah, that's a black mall for y'all
in case you have not ventured in one before,
just as enjoyable
than that superhero flick or any feature
playing at the cinema.
Bring your appetite for culture,
gossip and indeed the best
slap your mama,
finger suckin' comfort food
to the nearest
unofficially designated black mall,
just outside the hood.
POLL TIME
MALL LORE
ON “BLACK MALL”
Wow, this poem (most of it), was conceived while I was still living in southern California, was about 12 years in unfinished status! Thankfully I found this one in old writing folders.
Both of the malls featured below were and can be deemed “black malls” (malls frequented by Black American population and heavily influenced by Black American and African culture) but are not exclusively black, especially in light of gentrification in communities where American mall are located.
Down Mall Memory Lane: Inspirations of “Black Mall”
Lakewood Center (Lakewood Mall), Lakewood , CA
South Bay Pavilion Galleria (formerly Carson Mall)- Carson, CA
MALL MEMORIES & STORIES
If you love to remininse about mall culture at large, check out the full episode or segments of Quite Frankly (from 27:55 on…)
Featured show bytes:
(Main) Frank Intro on the mall scene and culture/ foamy water fountain/ dead malls at 28:51 to 35:12
Good Memories of the Mall/ Downfall of Mall from 43:40
Mall anxiety (9/11) from 56:00
The mall and LSD connection (eye-opening story!) from 57:50
MALL CITY
Mall nostalgia anyone? This documentary will make many of a certain age harken back to more innocent era of the 1980s. Shot in a suburban Long Island mall, a young reporter interview everyday folk of different ages about what do they do and like about the mall. Got to love the smiles, accents and (maybe) feathered hair and other ‘dos of the people back then. Plenty of cultural candy to devour from this footage!
MEET VIRGINIA: A LOCAL MALL
Patrick Henry Mall, located on the Peninsula of Hampton Roads, Virginia, in the city of Newport News. Not an exclusive “Black Mall” but indeed with the hallmarks of one. It is a shopping staple in a city with a Black population of almost 40% and has a dozen of Black-owned Biz - directory stores and kiosks. Surprisingly, not a black soul food joint but you have Afro-centric fashion and knick-knack galore, along with the barber and beauty supply shops (and even a vending machine dispensing hair extenstions- go figure!)
Mall and Travel Notes
The mall itself is surviving. Not so many empty store and hallways (not close to mall zombie status at all).
Mall features of note: well-kept play area for the lil’ kiddos, full arcade (Tilt Studio), old school photo booth that shoots out the filmstrip pics, motorized massage chairs when you need mall therapy and yes, there is CBD product vending machine, CHOW 420.
Dillards is the best mall anchor store, in terms of the overall shopping experience. Professional staff, high quality merch (I love the fine luggage and travel merch section here) and it’s clean, clean clean! It’s definitely on the upscale side but some bargains can be had at certaining times of the season.
If coming to Hampton Roads, this mall area is a good spot to stay. Main interstate 64-HRBT, hotels, airport (NN- Williamsburg Airport) and City Center (NN) are closeby.
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