Let’s Celebrate the Ashby Flea Market
There is an ominous cloud hanging over our city. The forces of greed and endless profiteering by developers and real estate interests are quickly erasing Berkeley’s history and culture entirely. The Ashby Flea Market is a remnant of South Berkeley’s rich history and once again is fighting for its life.
The flea market has had a treacherous road of facing off with the forces of gentrification over the decades. Born in the 1950’s, out of necessity, so the residents of South Berkeley could feed their families. Initially, the flea market was located in South Berkeley Square at Adeline and Woolsey. It was as colorful as the community — a place where African, Latino and Asian American working class vendors put their individual cultures on display while making a small profit to support their families. As the market grew, entertainment began to flourish. Drummers, dancers, and the like gathered to express their roots, harmonize rhythms and have fun.
In 1964, BART development ripped through South Berkeley streets driving off and displacing many of the non-white owned businesses and with it, the flea market. In 1973, the Ashby BART station opened at its current location and trains didn’t run on the weekends. The empty parking lot was the perfect place for a permanent home for the flea market. It grew into a Berkeley institution and has become a legitimate form of income for the working class and those marginalized economically.
Of course, it has been targeted for final closure during the new phase of BART development at the Adeline corridor. In the past seven years, there has been a monumental effort by community members and organizations, such as Friends of Adeline (FOA), to keep this as the permanent site for the flea market. Even so, it’s survival still hangs in the balance.
As I walk around its few lanes in the aftermath of forced closures, it looks more like a dying relic. The pandemic has taken a toll on the flea market, the city has not supported it through this tough time and the vendors themselves are teetering on the edge of survival. The drummers have gone into hibernation and the music is fading.
But wait, before the music stops completely, in come Christina Murphy and FOA. Ms. Murphy is a Berkeley native and former rent board commissioner. She has a vision to heal our community and bring back the energy of the flea market with a revival festival. She says, “We must stop waiting for the crumbs to drop down from the city and revive each other.”
The community has heard her call! The “HEALTH IS WEALTH FAIR” is happening at the flea market on Saturday March 12 from 10am to 4pm. Hosted by the Berkeley healthcare community, LifeLong Medical Clinic, Berkeley Community Physical Therapy and other physicians will offer basic triage support as well as COVID vaccines. Also, alternative wellness and healing vendors from cannabis to herbal remedies along with community organizations — such as the Gray Panthers, FOA, Healthy Black Families and Berkeley Copwatch — will be there. Live music, break dancers, yoga for all and interactive art stations will draw a crowd. Most importantly, the original long-time flea market vendors will be celebrated! Ms. Murphy intends for this to be a monthly offering that will revive and rejuvenate the soul of South Berkeley.
Come out and make history with us on Saturday March 12th ~ Ashby BART parking lot ~ 10am to 4pm.
This article was first published in the Berkeley Times on March 10, 2022.
