Harold E. Hambrick was a visionary, and he was an expert at inspiring others to connect with his goals. In fact, during what turned out to be the last two weeks of his life, a friend said the Louisiana native was in the midst of planning something—potentially taking the Watts Village Theater to a new home at the Watts Coffee House. But, he died of a heart attack before that dream could become reality.
Hambrick was 71.
Arriving in Los Angeles in 1961 three days after graduating from a segregated high school with 49 other classmates in Slidell, L.A., Hambrick dreamed of becoming a positive change agent in the community. He began working in an arena that would later become a central part of his life—business. He served as an office manager for IBM Corporation.
Hambrick stayed there for a year, 1966-67, before moving on to an organization that would eventually facilitate his goal to begin to implement his ideas for change. Then called the South Central Multi Purpose Health Service Center, the facility later became the Watts Health Foundation (WHF).
While working for Watts Health Foundation from 1969-75, the father of three earned a business degree from Pepperdine University and began to get involved in the life of the Los Angeles community, particularly Watts.
That involvement included helping refurbish the historic Mafundi Institute, a Watts cultural space that at one point offered classes in dance, drama and poetry as well as hosted theatrical and musical performances.
From 1974-75, Hambrick would also serve as a member of the board of the Watts United Credit Union Inc., and later would take over as the board chairman and eventually became CEO.
Coming from a family of entreprenuers—his father worked along side his uncle in the funeral business—Hambrick Sr. opened his own funeral home in Gonzales, La., in 1975, which is still run by Hambrick ’s two brothers. Those same brothers own a nightclub, “Hambonz,” in Donaldsonville, La., and another brother owns a business consulting firm in Los Angeles. Hambrick’s his interest in business took another turn, when Watts Health Systems purchased the Los Angeles Black Business Expo from founder Barbara Lindsey in 1996.
The event was renamed the Los Angeles Black Business Expo and Trade show and Hambrick’s guidance saw it grow from a half-day presentation in 1989 that drew 50 exhibitors and 1,500 visitors into one that hosted 40,000 visitors and 500 vendors in 1997.
During the 22 years he organized the expo, Hambrick focused on one key concern: to help Black businesses grow and connect with an increasing volume of consumers. In fact, in 1998 he took the expo national by founding the internet-based network, Black Expos of America (BXA).
This included more than 20 expos around the nation doing what Hambrick said was “to harness the buying power of our community.”
In addition to his push to promote Black entrepreneurs, Hambrick, who also owned an income tax service, was ever mindful of the need to preserve Black roots, and in 1994 joined forces with his sister, Kathe Hambrick, to co-found the River Road African American Museum in historic downtown Donaldsonville, L.A.
Public visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., today at the Harrison-Ross Funeral Home, 4601 Crenshaw Blvd. “Memorial Remembrances of Harold Hambrick” will also be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Greater Liberty Baptist Church, 6557 S. Western Ave. The celebration of life funeral service will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m., at Victory Baptist Church, 4802 S. McKinley Ave. The eulogist will be Rev. Dr. Clyde W. Oden, Jr., pastor of Bryant Temple A.M.E. Church. The officiant will be Rev. Theodore Peters, Harold’s cousin and pastor of the Greater Liberty Baptist Church.
