Lawndale native bringing small businesses together through 'Black Wall Street' on West Side

CHICAGO (CBS)-- For many years, economic development has, for the most part, stalled on Chicago's West Side with high rates of poverty and unemployment.

But one Lawndale native is on a mission to change that.

CBS 2's Jackie Kostek met a West Side superhero who retired from her first career in cosmetology to fulfill her purpose and breathe life into the neighborhood she calls home.

Lavern Herron doesn't just dream of a vibrant Lawndale. She's creating it.

"This is the way they start," Herron said. "They start here. Just displaying their stuff and getting the confidence they need to make sure that they can go out into the world and open their own businesses."

Every Saturday through September 10, Herron hosts Black Wall Street, an outdoor market bringing together about 20 small businesses, many just starting out, the majority Black-owned and based on the West Side.

"There's a lot of money that's being spent here and none of it is really going into our own pockets," she said. 

The intention behind Black Wall Street is to empower west side residents and business owners to build and invest in their own community.

"My goal is for us to own our own communities, to rebuild them on our own. And I think having our own businesses and some type of economics here that are our own will help us build that," Herron said. 

Herron owns the lot and the building next to it. Over the course of the summer, Black Wall Street will create opportunities for more than 150 small businesses to showcase and sell their work here. She also employs eight teenagers from the neighborhood and in the space next door, she's got space for eight entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.

"This is vision start-up studios on the second floor. It's eight businesses up here. 8 businesses."

While Black Wall Street is seasonal, vision start-up studios are year-round. But the concept is the same, help entrepreneurs get on their feet.

"This is Ms. Common. She has a women's clothing line so this is her store. Ms. Common's," Herron said. "This is Lucy, she does hair. This is Toya, she sells hair."

An entrepreneur herself, Herron knows what it takes to build something special. 

She's changing the perception of Lawndale from dilapidated, often vacant buildings to anything but.

"This is Lawndale," She said. "Yes, this is Lawndale. It is."

You can find Black Wall Street on Roosevelt Road and Lawndale Avenue every Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. through September 10.