Medu Bookstore, which is located in the Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta, Ga., will be closing by March after 35 years in business. The Atlanta Voice reported that owner and founder Nia Damali "is retiring. Asked about her plans for the future, she said that they will include traveling, relaxing, and reflecting on her career as an entrepreneur."
"I'm just going to work on me," she said. "Have some time for me. I just want to be still.... I've been thanking people for allowing me to be here, and for allowing me to make the decision myself. I'm grateful. I tell everyone to stay in touch because you never know what tomorrow will bring."
There is no succession plan in place for Medu. The Voice noted that "when she shuts the doors for the last time, that will indeed be the end of Medu Bookstore." Damali added: "We just move on to the next chapter. It's been good in every way. I feel like I've done the work that I set out to do at Medu."
Medu Bookstore opened during a time when going to the mall was a major part of life, "as much a part of Atlanta's entertainment scene as any other," the Voice wrote. Damali said customer traffic in the mall has slowed down from the heady times of the 1990s and early 2000s, but she believes there's always been a place for a Black-owned and operated bookstore, noting: "There has been a lot of change. I hope another bookstore opens in the mall."
Marcus Williams, who opened Nubian Books, in Morrow, Ga., in 1999, began his bookselling career at Medu and described the experience as the foundation of his career as a business owner: "I will forever be grateful to Nia Damali for allowing me to work for her at Medu Bookstore when I was a college student. Without her, there would not be a Nubian Bookstore."
Densua Abayoni, owner of nearby Densua's Incredible Artist Market, observed: "The community loses a substantial contribution to the culture that has kept us aware and knowledgeable about what's happening around the world.... I have been here as long as she has been here. I'm devastated."