The National Association of Black Bookstores has declared April 7 National Black Bookstore Day, 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.
On NBBD, readers and supporters are encouraged to visit a Black-owned bookstore, make a purchase, share their experience on social media using #NationalBlackBookstoreDay and #NAB2, and help amplify the visibility of Black literary spaces in their communities. A national directory of Black-owned bookstores is available to help readers find and support stores in their area.
In recognition of the day, the African American Mayors Association, which represents more than 500 Black mayors, partnered with its members to work with mayors, city councils, and legislators across cities and counties nationwide to issue proclamations recognizing NBBD and the vital role Black bookstores play in their communities.
NAB2 founder Kevin Johnson said: "My mother, Mother Rose, founded and ran UndergroundBooks in Oak Park. This day is deeply personal to my brother and me, it's a way to honor her legacy and ensure that the stories, voices, and spaces she cherished continue to thrive. National Black Bookstore Day is about more than commerce. It is a declaration that Black bookstores are essential, that they are worth celebrating, and that they are here to stay."
A $570,000 investment from Robert Smith, founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, anchors the launch of NBBD, "ensuring that the next generation of Black readers and scholars has access to literature that reflects and affirms their stories," the organizers said. Together with NAB2, 19,000 books are being donated to students at 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
"Supporting NAB2 and recognizing National Black Bookstore Day is about ensuring that future innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs have access to the stories that expand what they believe is possible and give them the confidence to pursue a new way forward," said Smith. "I'm proud to stand with NAB2 in advancing that work."
Blanche Richardson, founding board member and owner of Marcus Books in Oakland, Calif., observed: "For decades, Black bookstores have been the connective tissue in communities across the nation. National Black Bookstore Day gives us a moment to make that visible on a national scale and to remind America that these spaces are not relics of the past, they are pillars of the future."