Black-owned bookstores have lengthy been the heartbeat in our communities — and now, there’s a nationwide motion to ensure they proceed to thrive.
On August 6, the Nationwide Affiliation of Black Bookstores (NAB2) formally launched, turning into the primary and solely collective solely devoted to uplifting Black-owned bookstores and booksellers. The nonprofit, member-based group says its mission is to “promote literacy, amplify Black voices and protect Black tradition by rising the visibility, sustainability and influence of Black bookstores and booksellers.”
The imaginative and prescient comes from NAB2 founder and former Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson. He opened Underground Books in 2003 together with his mom, “Mom Rose” Peat West, who handed away in December. For Johnson, launching NAB2 is deeply private.
“My mom, Mom Rose, based and ran Underground Books in Oak Park,” Johnson shared within the announcement. “My involvement within the Nationwide Affiliation of Black Bookstores is deeply private. It’s a means for me to honor her legacy and be sure that the tales, voices and areas she cherished proceed to thrive.”
NAB2’s founding board reads like a who’s-who of iconic Black bookstores — from Marshall’s Music and E book Retailer in Jackson, Miss. (est. 1938) and Marcus Books in Oakland, Calif. (est. 1960), to Hakim’s Bookstore in Philadelphia (est. 1959) and Supply Booksellers in Detroit. They’ll be joined by newer trailblazers, comparable to Fulton Avenue Books & Espresso in Tulsa, Okla., and Class Bookstore in Houston, each of which have been launched in 2020.
Blanche Richardson, a founding board member and proprietor of Marcus Books, says NAB2 is about constructing energy collectively. “For many years, Black bookstores have been the connective tissue in communities throughout the nation,” she mentioned. “Many people have talked for years concerning the energy of collective motion and now, with the founding of NAB2, now we have the power to institutionalize insurance policies and practices that may permit for the additional development and flourishing of those vital establishments.”
NAB2 will host digital and in-person gatherings all year long, together with at New York’s Black Lit Weekend in August and Sacramento Black E book Honest in September. They may also attend each regional bookseller convention this fall to enroll new members. Memberships vary from $100 to $500 yearly, supplied in three tiers.
NAB2’s core values heart on elevating and advocating for the Black bookstore group, rising illustration within the bookselling trade, and educating the general public concerning the legacy of Black bookstores nationwide.
For extra info on learn how to assist or be part of NAB2, go to www.nab2.org.
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