Story & Lesson Highlights with Richea Jonrs of South Central Los Angeles

We recently had the chance to connect with Richea Jonrs and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Richea, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: When was the last time you felt true joy?
The last time I felt true joy was in a moment that might seem simple on the surface, but felt deeply meaningful to me. I was standing in community at our annual supplier summit—watching people connect, share stories, and feel seen around the grocery concept we’re building with Diaspora. Seeing underutilized food entrepreneurs light up because someone finally understood their vision, their culture, and their worth reminded me why this initiative matters.

True joy for me comes when purpose and people align—when food becomes more than a transaction and turns into healing, opportunity, and dignity. In those moments, I feel my mom’s spirit with me, I feel my community’s resilience, and I’m reminded that love, when put into action, is powerful.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Richea Jones, and I’m the co-founder of Diaspora Groceries, a values-driven grocery concept built alongside actress, producer, and comedian Tiffany Haddish. Diaspora Groceries was created to center culture, wellness, and economic opportunity—especially for underutilized communities that have historically been excluded from traditional food systems.

Diaspora Groceries is special because it’s rooted in love and lived experience. We support small food brands, farmers, and makers who’ve been overlooked, and we treat food as medicine, dignity, and connection—not just a product. I volunteer much of my time doing this work because I believe healing starts at the table.

I recently lost my mother in April 2025, and grief has deepened my purpose. Everything I’m building now is about honoring her, feeding people well, and not leaving systems behind that truly care for our communities.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Tiffany Haddish saw me clearly before I could see myself. She always believed I was smart, capable, and worthy—long before I had the strength to believe it on my own. When my youngest son passed away in March of 2016, I felt completely paralyzed. Grief hit me in a way I had never experienced, and although I hadn’t struggled with mental health issues before, that loss changed everything.

That same year, I went through a painful divorce and endured domestic violence, along with difficult custody battles with my oldest son. It was an emotionally and financially draining time, but ultimately, I gained full custody and a restraining order against my ex-husband. I had several breakdowns, lost friends, and felt like I was constantly fighting just to survive.

Through it all, Tiffany was a rock. She stayed with me through the pain, offering friendship, laughter, and love when I couldn’t find it for myself. She helped me remember my worth and gave me the courage to keep going. I continue to take it one day at a time, staying in therapy and focusing on healing. Because someone saw me clearly when I couldn’t, I’ve been able to rebuild, find my purpose, and lead with compassion in everything I do.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me lessons that success never could. It stripped away everything I thought defined me and forced me to face my most vulnerable moments—losing my youngest son, enduring domestic violence, navigating a divorce, and fighting for custody of my oldest son, all while facing financial struggles and isolation.

Through it, I learned that strength isn’t always about pushing forward— it taught me that healing isn’t always linear, it can look like resting, crying, or going to therapy and taking life one day at a time. Suffering showed me the power of empathy, patience, and resilience in ways that success alone never could. It taught me to lead with compassion, to create spaces that honor humanity, and to measure fulfillment not by accolades, but by the impact we have on others’ lives and the care we put into our work and relationships

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would say that what really matters to me is people—especially those who are overlooked, underestimated, or hurting. They’d say I care deeply about family, community, and creating spaces where folks feel safe, fed, and valued. Healing matters to me, both my own and others’, as does honesty, loyalty, and showing up even when it’s hard.

They’d also say I’m driven by purpose more than praise. I care about doing work that has heart, about leaving things better than I found them, and about turning pain into something that can nourish, protect, and uplift others.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop overextending myself and carrying what isn’t mine to hold. I’d stop saying yes out of guilt, urgency, or survival, and stop shrinking my needs to make others comfortable. I’d let go of perfection, of explaining myself to people committed to misunderstanding me, and focus on what makes me happy.

I would choose rest without apology, protect my peace, and move only in ways that align with love, purpose, and presence—because time is too precious to spend it disconnected from myself or the people I’m here to care for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.diasporagroceries.org
• Instagram: Diasporagroceries
• Facebook: Diasporagroceries