Char Adams, author of Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life Of The Black
Bookstore, wrote the book that she'd wanted to read. Her curiosity about the history of Black owned bookstores was piqued in 2018 when she read an article in The Atlantic: The FBI's War on Black-Owned Bookstores.
"When I finished the article, I couldn't help think about the booksellers. I was curious about their experiences. I wanted to know about their lives under FBI surveillance and what it meant to sell Black literature at such a politically turbulent time in the country. Did agents visit their stores? What books were they most excited to sell? How did Black locals react to having such overtly countercultural businesses in their communities? I had questions. So I set out to get answers."...
...And did she ever get answers! She gives readers a rich, intersectional history of Black-Owned Bookstores stores from the 1830s when abolitionist and Black bookstore owner David Ruggles used his store as a community centered activism site, royally pissing off the pro slavery crowd, to the COVID pandemic. And this history is never dry, dull, or pedantic. Adams is a consummate storyteller and a talented interviewer. She spices her broad outlines with vivid particularities described so well you can conjure up scenes in your mind of children's story times, political meetings, and so much more.
"I fashioned Black-Owned as a series of vignettes with historical accounts and information mixed in. It takes readers back in time, bringing those stories to life, allowing readers to see staff stocking bookshelves, to hear tense conversations with law enforcement, and feel the disappointment of a store's closure. It is more than a historical account; it is a collection of vivid stories intended to stick with readers long after they put the book down. Stories a person could get lost in."
I surely did get lost in them. I bet you can too. If Black history and/or bookstore history intrigues you--if you enjoy volumes that bring times and places vividly to life--you're going to really enjoy Black-Owned. If you can afford to buy your own copy please get it from a Black-Owned bookstore. If, like me, you live in an area where there are no physical ones look for one with an online presence.
On a purrrsonal note, last night the channel 5 meteorologist was predicting a storm for today with ultra strong winds, torrential rain, and serious chances of losing power. As in make sure you're prepared for disaster. Well so far the weather is living up to the hype. So I figured I'd better post pretty darn quick.
A great big shout out goes out to those courageous Black entrepreneurs who have created and nurtured much needed bookstores against the odds and continue to do so today.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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