The legacy of the Black American bookshop goes all the way back to 1834, when free-born David Ruggles opened a space in New York City dedicated to abolitionist and feminist works. Visitors included the likes of Frederick Douglass, whom Ruggles aided during his escape from slavery. Since that time, Black literary circles and bookstores have been bedrocks of some of the strongest radical political movements in history, including in 2020, during the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the racial reckoning that characterized that era, when it seemed every liberal from Tucson to Tallahassee was eager to pour their money into antiracist books and bookstores.
Today, though they may look slightly different than they did in the 1830s, Black-owned bookshops remain powerful centers of progressive thought in an increasingly polarized political climate – and still in need of your dollars.
Like any consumer, book-lovers have an opportunity to be discerning about where they buy their books, knowing that their individual cash adds up in the collective. Spending money at a local independent bookshop or ordering from one in a less diverse area is an important part of keeping these spaces open and accessible, and keeping independent thought flowing freely. While your purchase alone won’t fix systemic racism, a groundswell of support for Black-owned bookshops ultimately supports the greater Black economy and helps to shrink racial disparities.
Whether you’re looking to snag some books by Black authors for your own TBR list or as a gift for a loved one, check out this list of Black-owned bookstores across the US.
