The Shrine of the Black Madonna Bookstore and Cultural Center in Detroit, Mich., founded in 1970, is having a liquidation sale, and a committee will decide how to use its space, which could include a new store, the Detroit Free Press reported.
There was no word on the fate of the Shrine bookstore and cultural centers in Houston, Tex., and Atlanta, Ga.
Nilaja Stewart, national secretary for the Shrine church, told the paper that "business has been very slow for the last five years," leading management to consider other ways to serve the community.
The bookstore, which stocks books, jewelry, greeting cards and much artwork, has faced online competition as well as the more widespread availability of what it sells. "You can now buy African art at Marshalls even though it may not be authentic," Stewart said. "At one time, you pretty much had to come to the Shrine to see a large assortment of greeting cards with black people on them. Now you can buy them at Target. So if you're already at the mall, you're not going to make a special trip to come to the Shrine."