An Open Book

Throughout history, Black-owned bookstores have served as places where ideas are often transformed into action through discussion and activism. The nation’s first known Black-owned bookstore, opened in 1828 in New York City by free Black man and entrepreneur David Ruggles, was one of the few places where abolitionist materials and works by Black writers were available. Ruggles later became the publisher of the nation’s earliest Black magazine, Mirror of Liberty. His store was also known as a safe place where those escaping slavery could stay and rest. 

In the 1960s and ’70s, Black-owned bookstores were essential to civil rights, serving as centers of culture and community. They brought Black politicians, activists, artists, and scholars together within the walls of a single business. 

“Within the constellation of institutions that have served historically marginalized communities, bookstores are unique because they are intentionally concerned with knowledge production, consumption, and activation,” said Green. “They develop programming that translates complex ideas into digestible pieces and provide access to people and places that might be otherwise out of reach.”

Green noted that Black-owned bookstores are inherently oriented toward social justice, because knowledge empowers people to understand the world around them and formulate the steps needed to implement lasting change.

“Black-owned bookstores tie us to the power of words to change lives,” Green said.

In the years since the George Floyd tragedy, Black-owned bookstores have again become central to the larger discussion on the advancement of civil rights and the Black Lives Matter movement. This is partly tied to the power of storytelling to drive societal change.

“It is almost impossible to achieve what you cannot imagine,” Green said. “Stories allow us to imagine change in the real world that we cannot yet see or believe. They are a blueprint for the emotional and material structures that we want to see manifested in real life.”

As institutions of commerce, Black-owned bookstores are yet another example of the determination, business savvy, and enterprising spirit that exemplifies the African American entrepreneur. As cultural touchstones, they provide the opportunity to imagine a more just and equitable world and the forum to discuss how to make those dreams a reality.

“Black-owned bookstores also remind us of the ways that adversity has been overcome and the beauty that is inherent in each of us,” Green said. “Whether it's Moses or the power and spirit in Harriet Tubman, a story of triumph has the power to transform us all.”