#NationalBlackBookstoreDay: 'We Celebrate the Spaces that Have Always Been More than Bookstores'
National Black Bookstore Day was celebrated yesterday, April 7. Created by the National Association of Black Bookstores, NBBD is a national observance honoring the cultural, economic, and community impact of Black-owned bookstores across the U.S. The day also celebrates the late Georgia "Mother Rose" Peat West, founder of Underground Books in Sacramento, Calif. Bookstores sharing their #NationalBlackBookstoreDay experiences on social media included:
Source Booksellers, Detroit, Mich.: "April 7th is National Black Bookstore Day. Today we celebrate the spaces that have always been more than bookstores--they've been centers for knowledge, culture, resistance, and community. Here in Detroit, we stand on the legacy of those who paved the way, like Vaughn's Bookstore and The Shrine of the Black Madonna, whose presence helped shape what it means to have access to Black literature and thought in our city. Today is a day to support and learn more about Black bookstores and booksellers around you. Pull up, tap in, and take something meaningful home."
Cindelle's Bookstore, Plainfield, N.J.: "Happy National Black Bookstore Day! Today, on this inaugural celebration, we are filled with so much gratitude. Gratitude for every single person who has walked through our doors, picked up a book, and made Cindelle's feel like home. Plainfield: you have shown up for us, and we promise to always show up for you. From the very beginning, our vision was simple: to create a warm, welcoming space where this community could see itself on every shelf. A place where stories matter, where conversations start, and where belonging is never in question. On this first-ever National Black Bookstore Day, we are proud to be YOUR bookstore. Thank you for letting us serve this beautiful city. The best is STILL to come." (pics by @jveloz)
All Good Books, Columbia, S.C.: "In honor of National Black Bookstore Day on April 7th, Shaquinta from Audre's Den, a Black woman-owned mobile bookstore and literary lounge, will be celebrating the shop's Columbia debut with a pop-up event at All Good Books from 10 am to 4 pm. @audresden_sc specializes in curated literature by Black authors, centering women's voices and creating a space rooted in reading, writing, and radical rest."
Strive Publishing & Bookstore, Minneapolis, Minn.: "It's official! The City of Minneapolis Government will recognize the first annual National Black Bookstore Day with a proclamation--and we invite you to celebrate with us at Strive Bookstore on April 7th from 5:00-7:30p.m. for a Cake & Community Open House. This is a moment to uplift Black bookstores and the stories that sustain them. We especially invite our local authors--your voices, your books, and your presence are what keep spaces like Strive alive and relevant. Come connect, celebrate, and stand in community as we honor the power of Black stories together."
Dawn Treader Books, Ann Arbor, Mich.: "Supporting Black-owned bookstores strengthens the entire literary ecosystem. Today, join us and NAB2 for National Black Bookstore Day. Visit nab2.org to find a national directory of independent shops to support. We're proud to be one of many Black-owned bookshops in Southeast Michigan. Check out our neighbors at @sourcebooksellers, @blackstonebookstore, @shopbooksweet, and @pagesontheave today too!"
Moonstone & Mist Bookshop, Redondo Beach, Calif.: "It's National Black Bookstore Day! I'd like to share with you six ways to support Black-owned bookstores and, truly, any independent bookstore today and every day."
Brenham Book Nook, Brenham, Tex.: "April 7th is National Black Bookstore Day! We love running into booksellers from Houston's @classbookstore or Austin's @blackpearlbooks when we go to regional bookseller gatherings, and supporting them by telling people about their stores. There are even more black bookstores in Houston, Austin, and throughout Texas that we haven't been able to visit yet; you can find them, and others all across the country, here. To learn more about the history of black-owned bookstores, and how they have been central to organizing political movements as well as places of celebration, we recommend the book shown above!"
Class Bookstore, Houston, Tex.: "Happy National Black Bookstore Day. Greetings #CLASSMates!! Today, we celebrate and recognize as 'NATIONAL BLACK BOOKSTORE DAY'!!.... Come through the shop today (from 2 p.m.-7 p.m.) and let’s wish each other Happy National Black Bookstore Day!! BONUS: Can you find and name all of the Black Bookstores in the Greater Houston area?"
Baldwin & Co. Bookstore, New Orleans, La. (via PEN America): "The National Association of Black Bookstores (@nab2blk) has declared April 7 to be #NationalBlackBookstoreDay.... We recently sat down with DJ Johnson, proprietor of @baldwinandcompany, a black-owned independent bookstore in New Orleans to hear how he uses the power of books to inspire social justice."
Da Book Joint, Chicago, Ill.: "Today is National Black Bookstore Day. Black-owned bookstores have always been more than just retail spaces--they are cultural hubs, safe spaces, and homes for our stories. They make sure our voices are heard, our history is preserved, and our community stays connected. And being able to do this work in our own neighborhood means everything to us. We're open 12-6 p.m. today and we would love to see you in the store.... Every visit, every purchase, every share--it all matters."














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Into the Blue by Emma Brodie (Ballantine) is the April pick for
Before It Was a Hurricane
Book you've bought for the cover:
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, winner of the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth/Teen Literary Work, gifts readers her third solo YA novel, The Heirs, an electrifying locked-room mystery about wealth, genius, and obsession.