LOS ANGELES — It was a story Randy Savvy had heard countless times before: Another Black man had been killed in Compton. Hearts and lives were shattered. A community grieved.
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It was a story Randy Savvy had heard countless times before: Another Black man had been killed in Compton. Hearts and lives were shattered. A community grieved.
In early 2020, Savvy, born Randall Hook, learned that a friend’s boyfriend was fatally wounded by gunfire on his way to a store.
Savvy, 31, understood her grief. He’s lost loved ones to gang violence too.
He wrote “Colorblind,” his first single, in response.
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“That song came from a really inspired place of thinking about the life that we live in inner cities, how we lose lives and how it just seems to be a normal way of life in our culture,” said Savvy in a phone interview. “It’s a toxic, tragic cycle: People die. There’s a little celebration to honor their life. Then the next person dies and the same thing happens. The next person dies and the same thing.
Is there even a way to say that 2020 has put us all through the wringer without sounding like a cliché at this point? Probably not. But boy, has it.
From booksellers to restaurants to boutiques, no business in L.A. has made it through this year unscathed. That s why we designed this holiday shop-small guide, to spotlight our favorite local businesses, makers and products. These shops reflect everything that makes this city great, places that have, despite the Amazon explosion, kept L.A. from turning into a wasteland of big box stores and Walmart parking lots. These are items that you might not find anywhere else from vendors who after this tumultuous year could certainly use some love.