PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Joycelyn Parks opened De’Village in 2001 with her late husband Watson in the Reading Terminal Market.

“From day one, this was his baby. He loved being here,” Parks says of her husband. “We offer African clothing. We also offer African artwork.”

She also carries hand carved works from Nigeria.

“We have things from different countries,” she says. “It’s really unique.”

When the couple moved here from Tobago in the early 1990s, they opened a store in The Gallery, now known as The Fashion District. Parks says their store had more of a “European style” at the time, but gradually they began selling African items.

They now carry garments like dashikis that can be worn by both men and women.

“And we get jewelry from all over the world,” she says.

They have earrings from Kenya and the Philippines, among other places.

“These are my door openers. I try to keep the price low,” says Parks.

There are also nice gift ideas, such as fans made of fabric and leather.

“Oh, there’s such a wonderful breeze,” she says.

Parks says she occasionally travels around looking for items for her store. She looks for handmade jewelry, like the bracelets she carries from Ghana.

“This is a family business,” she says.

She also carries natural body care products like shea butter and black soap.

“It’s like a paste, but it foams a lot. A small amount is enough,” she says.

And there is diverse art.

“This is called ‘a family.’ It is made of soapstone from Kenya,” she says.

Parks’ daughter Nikki now also works at De’Village.

“After her father got sick, she decided to come here and help me with the business,” Parks says.

She quit her job in corporate America to ensure the business continued into the next generation. Parks says she and her husband have worked hard to build the business and she knows her daughter will take care of it.

“I’m so happy she’s here,” Parks says.

For more informations:

De’Village at Reading Terminal Market: https://readingterminalmarket.org/merchant/devillage/
De’Village on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devillagephilly/?hl=en