Carmen Dianne Cultivates New Home With Mobile Farmers Market

Carmen Dianne’s father served in the army for nearly 27 years and retired as a Colonel. This picture was captured in 1995 while the family was stationed at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Pictured are Dianne’s older brother, Corey Thomas (middle), her mother Sandra Thomas (middle left) and her father, Dwayne Thomas (right).

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARMEN DIANNE

The United States Department of Defense reports that there are over 4.7 million military family members and personnel as of 2020. But Dianne often felt “othered” being in the only Black family on base during the mid-1990s. 

“You don’t see a lot of other Black families. I’ve always been in spaces where there’s not many of us,” Dianne said.

Although she was able to maneuver in predominantly white spaces by code-switching, she still faced microaggressions and did not see much Black representation outside of her family. 

“My brother, in a lot of ways, is the only other person who understands a lot of what I went through with moving around a lot,” Dianne said. 

However, Dianne’s atypical upbringing gave her the confidence and freedom to pursue any calling she desired in life. 

After spending her formative years in Maryland and Virginia while attending high school and college, Dianne decided to relocate to California in 2013 to pursue a career as a makeup artist in Los Angeles. 

Although Dianne had traveled many times as a kid, her first instinct was to call her father. 

“I couldn’t use my cell phone to call him and I was trying to find a pay phone,” Dianne said. “I did finally call him and he said, ‘You made a plan, just stick with it,’ and it all worked out.”

Dianne returned to Los Angeles after her eight-month stint in Paris. She continued to work in the makeup industry until the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During that time, the murder of George Floyd, followed by the Black Lives Matter movement, deeply impacted and shifted Dianne’s worldview. She felt empowered as she read books by Black activists like Huey P. Newton’s To Die for the People and Assata Shakur’s Assata: An Autobiography.

She felt a calling to help the Black community and economy as many Black businesses shut down during the pandemic.

According to a report by the House Committee on Small Businesses, Black business ownership declined more than 40% during the height of the pandemic, more than any other ethnic group.

Dianne’s motivation to help was so strong that she put down her makeup brush and began to strategize solutions to historic disparities in June 2020 alongside her long-time Maryland friend, Kara Still. The duo looked to address food insecurity, which impacts one out of five Black households in Los Angeles, while also supporting Black-owned businesses. 

Their idea to create a farmers market on wheels, featuring Black farmers, food producers & chefs from L.A. County launched in February 2021. They named it Prosperity Market, and the experience brought Dianne closer to her chosen home of L.A. 

“Prosperity Market definitely made me feel like a local — like I’m at home. My family expanded, our vendors are our family, the customers have become family, our volunteers are family, so I feel like my family has expanded with Prosperity Market,” Dianne said.

This career change affirmed Dianne’s relationship with the local L.A. community, grounding her deeper into California. Today, she credits her mother’s love, father’s bravery and brother’s understanding in shaping her into who she is today.

“Growing up as an army brat, a lot of times we choose ‘home.’ We pick our favorite place. ‘That’s where I’m from.’ It’s just for ease of conversation. It’s a lot to get into,” Dianne said. “In a way, L.A. has embraced me and shown me an overall beautiful experience.”