Meet Tene Muhammad | Community Activist & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tene Muhammad and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tene, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I recognized a gap and a need in my community. I realized that I could begin to close that gap and service that need, by creating what others might consider small. By creating a space that did several things all at once. The Compton’s Black Exchange is a space that definitely destroys this stigma that Compton is this bad place and the people of Compton are just gangbangers or rappers. We have successfully brought the people of Compton, along with the surrounding communities together on a regular basis. All with the mind set to network, change the way our Black dollar circulates in our community, educate when it comes to business, organize to strategize about creating generational wealth, closing the racial wealth gap and supporting each other. I’ve figured out away to make a difference, change narrative, create opportunities and make money all at the same time.

What should our readers know about your business?
The Compton’s Black Exchange has big plans and we are only in the first stage, but moving quickly. We have created spaces/pop-up shops, that not only changes the narrative of how our Black dollar circulates in our community. It has provided opportunities for small Black owned businesses to propel during a pandemic. To network and grow their businesses. We’ve been away to create the dialogue and some action when it’s come to creating generational wealth. Again, changing the narrative. Compton’s Black Exchange is about pulling everyone up. Understanding and educating our community power when it comes to our dollar and knowing/sharing what to do with it. We’ve become like family and that’s what truly sets us apart. There is a real desire for all of us to be successful. It’s been challenging because everyone hasn’t reached that same level of understanding and that’s okay. As, each month has passed we’ve been bless to see early on whom is with us and whom is not. However, the list of Black owned businesses that are on the same page continues to grow and the money is flowing. I have learned that failure is apart of success and when failure has been present, we have definitely failed up! I want the world to know if we can change the Narrative in Compton, then the narrative can be changed anywhere.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, in the city of Compton there’s so many places, people, things to do and see. But I would want to introduce a side of Compton people don’t hear about all the time. The Farms. This is where you could drive down the street and see a young/old Black men with cornrolls, jeans, Jordan’s, white T’s and a cowboy hat riding horses. You could go sight seeing in a helicopter down the street at the Compton airport or take some flight classes if you had time. You could go to The Hub Radio and vibe with HubCityDre about the history of Compton, then shoot to his water store to get the best Alkaline water in 50miles or pick up a healthy smoothie from ReUp another Black owned store in the city. You could get a burger or some wings from Billionaire Burger Boyz or pull up on Lemeir from Happy Ice. All Black owned business ran by young Black man. Those are big things because any other time Black men are looked at in Compton it’s for negative reasons. However, let me not over look my latino family. Los Sombreros on Long Beach and Alexandria’s 🔥 If you’re in to skate boarding there’s a ramp at the YAL & at Wilson park. There’s so many places. The gardens, Almas, Compton gardens ……. Just to name a few

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Other: Pod cast coming soon!