Actor, producer, musician and now author Will Smith launched an international book tour Monday for his new memoir, Will (Penguin Press), at Harriett's Bookstore in Philadelphia, Pa. WHYY reported that "about a hundred people waited for him to arrive, listening to a DJ spin old-school hip-hop on the sidewalk.... An entourage of five black SUVs pulled up outside the store. As everyone's attention swung to the street, security guards opened the door for Smith who pushed through the crowd, dutifully taking selfies with fans and autographing vinyl records, CD cases, and sundry merchandise related to his 35-year career in music, television, and movies."
"The only book for sale in our shop for the next few days is Will's book," said owner Jeannine A. Cook. "Our bookshop was only six weeks old when the pandemic hit. Right? For somebody like that to come in and make sure that a Black woman-owned bookshop is doing well and thriving, it means a whole lot to us."
Once inside Harriett's, he signed copies of his book while broadcasting an interview on Instagram Live. WHYY noted that the "crowd had dissipated a bit when Smith re-emerged from the bookstore, but the crush of fans wanting selfies and autographs had not abated. Back in his black SUV, he drove off into the night. The whole event, lasting about two hours, was billed as a protest by the owner, Cook. She put some of her employees on the street holding signs among Smith's fans: 'This Is A Protest.' "
"The word protest has been minimized. It has lost a way. A protest could be many things," she said. "Why can't a book launch be a protest? Why can't me telling my story be a protest? It's really about a protest of one: me walking my walk and doing things the way that I feel called to do them is my personal protest. That's what Will has done with the book."