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Merced’s Black entrepreneurs and business owners now have access to a dedicated space to organize, advocate, and grow their businesses.

The officers of the Greater Merced Black Chamber of Commerce, the first organization of its kind in the city, were officially installed Friday at the 78th Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner.

Led by President Linda Griffin, the chamber aims to unify and support Black-owned businesses and vendors in Merced, as well as those of other races, many of whom operate without brick-and-mortar locations or a central directory.

With support from the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a network of community leaders, the new chamber plans to offer workshops, scholarships, and shared spaces to nurture Black entrepreneurship.

Its founders say the chamber is not just about business. It’s about reclaiming opportunity, fostering unity, and passing down knowledge to the next generation.

Remembering a lost legacy

Griffin has fond childhood memories of thriving Black-owned businesses along 13th and 14th Streets in Downtown Merced.

“There were beauty shops,” she said. “There was probably a couple of nightclubs down there. It was where Black people went.”

And then came the freeway.

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“With eminent domain, they closed down all those businesses,” said Griffin, who has been studying the Black history of Merced. “They weren’t paid enough to relocate and open back up, so those businesses just disappeared.”

Merced’s Poet Laureate, Joyce Dale, who now serves as vice president of the new chamber, recalls a time when the city felt more connected.

“Merced was always a lot of fun,” she said. “We want children to have the same good memories that we had.”

A vision rooted in experience

Griffin left Merced at 22 and spent the next several decades in the Bay Area and New Orleans. 

Years later, when the 73-year-old returned to Merced, Griffin, a skilled jewelry maker, began organizing craft fairs where other artists could showcase and sell their work.

It was during her time participating in craft fairs that she noticed a pattern: a growing number of Black vendors in Merced, mostly young Black women, were underserved.

“I really want to help them,” she said. “Some of those girls are trying to get off welfare. They just want to be able to provide for their families.”

While there are a few large brick-and-mortar Black-owned businesses in Merced today, Griffin said there are many talented vendors, but no centralized way to find them.

“We don’t have a directory,” she said.

A community partnership

That’s where the new Black Chamber of Commerce comes in. With guidance and support from the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Griffin and Dale have built the foundation from scratch.

Anissa Fragoso, president of the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the collaboration began over a year and a half ago when Dale and Griffin reached out to her.

Fragoso offered a copy of her chamber’s bylaws, walked them through the next steps, and introduced them to a nonprofit attorney who helped finalize their documentation. Her priority was making sure they had the same visibility and institutional backing as other chambers in the county.

“I wanted to make sure the Black Chamber got the same exposure,” Fragoso said. “The community’s going to be there to support all of us.”

Anissa Fragoso, right, and Linda Griffin at the Merced County Hispanic Chamber Installation on Oct. 10, 2025. Photo by Christian De Jesus Betancourt/ The Merced FOCUS
For Fragoso, having multiple culturally specific chambers of commerce isn’t about competition. It’s about connection.

“If you’re Punjabi and your primary language isn’t English, who are you going to feel comfortable talking to? The Hispanic Chamber?” she said. “It’s about the cultural needs of each community. Different cultures have different struggles. That’s why we need different chambers — so we can support each other, share resources, and lift up every business in Merced, together.”

Membership in the Black Chamber is open to all, regardless of race or background. Griffin emphasized that the goal is to unite and uplift.

“I’m not closing any doors,” Griffin said. “It’s not a competition. It’s a collaboration. If we put all our voices together, we’d do so much.”

Uplifting the next generation

Now on disability, Griffin said she can’t work a 9-to-5 job, so she’s pouring her time into the chamber. 

“This is what I have to give to my community,” she said.

She also continues to create resin jewelry and Christmas wreaths, although it has become increasingly physically challenging with age. 

She hopes to teach craft classes in the future, passing on her knowledge to others.

She has received support from local pastors and businesses, and said the community has wholeheartedly embraced the idea.

“They’re just waiting for us to get started,” Griffin said.

She has big dreams for the future. In 10 years, she hopes to see Black-owned businesses thriving across Merced, creating opportunities for people of color.

“I believe there’s a tremendous amount of talent in the Black community,” she said. “I worry about the president trying to get rid of DEI. We need to put ourselves in a position to hire each other if it comes to that.”

Griffin hopes the chamber will help young Black entrepreneurs through scholarships, workshops, and training.

“To try to get them educated on how to improve their skills and how to run their businesses,” she said.

She hopes future generations will continue to build the new organization.

“If I could just get it started, get it off the ground,” she said. “In five years or so, then bring in some of these young people to take over.”

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