Very good read and very informative and thought provoking..held my interest so well that a few times I let time slip away from me. Will tell others to read this book and then have a discussion about it. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book. Receiving it in this manner had no bearing on my review.

I don’t think there has ever been a book to date that has captured the history of Black-owned bookstores in America, and it becomes more necessary with each passing day not only to support the existing ones such as Baldwin’s in New Orleans, but also because there are recent articles including one from 2018 talking about the FBI’s ‘war’ on Black-owned Bookstores. This goes back to the Black Power era and FBI’s monitoring and other horrendous things they did to Black activists. There are important chapters that focus on Black-owned bookstores disseminating Marxist literature in the 1960s to more contemporarily, the surge in directives to people and libraries to buy books from Black-owned bookstore in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.

Readers will learn about figures like David Ruggles (who I, like the author, had not previously heard of). In the 1800s, he was an abolitionist who helped enslaved people get to freedom, published anti-slavery pamphlets, “and ran the country’s first known Black bookstore.” He also suffered regular racist beatings, “an attempted kidnapping, and years of targeted attacks” because of his fight to help his people get to freedom.

Told in an engaging style, and with photos throughout, this text takes readers through different eras in time and highlights the struggles that so many Black-owned bookstores faced, as well as what they face today.

There is also the amazing story of Sankofa Video Books and Cafe, Mahogany Books, and the new generation of booksellers including Blacklit in Texas. There’s also the Ujamaa Community Bookstore in Indianapolis.

Very helpfully, the author has also included a list of Black-owned bookstores at the back of the book. I encourage folks to visit as many as they can.

From the introduction, I knew that I was going to like the style of the author, Char Adams. There is no overtly didactic or scholarly tone, making the book accessible for different types of readers. Which, thinking back, makes perfect sense considering the various bookstores she identifies in the first-ever full-length book on this subject broaches all sorts of bookstores. In this book, each chapter centers on another pivotal bookstore. While these stores may have opened at different times, in different locations, for different reasons, Adams poses that all Black-owned bookstores have a political bent: making Black stories and histories more accessible. In a country like the US, where such an idea was deemed unequivocally un-American, this can be nothing but political, even when the store owners and patrons simply see it as a chance to see themselves in media or learn more about history that goes untaught in formal education.

Adams goes back to the first ever Black-owned bookstore in New York and takes us up to the present. We see how such thought-leaders were often subject to abuse both physical and verbal, from scandal, to attempted kidnapping, to even having their stores burned down. And while many Black owned bookstores never lasted longer than a decade due to the hardships they faced, they were still pivotal for their communities.

Black-owned bookstores were never only a place to buy books, they were cultural centers. Many offered reading rooms and helped teach both children and adults to read. Some offered materials that could never be found in white bookstores (Adam notes how wholesale book suppliers offered different lists for bookstores and Black authors were never present on lists presented to white bookstores). Some even operated as publishing houses, publishing not just newsletters but full-length books, helping authors to share their stories with a wide audience. Even as COVID-19 hit along with the senseless murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubery, and many others, Black bookstores helped by providing free Wi-Fi, offering their parking lots as places to gather and plan protests, providing books via online stores, and so much more.

Stars: 4.5/5

Many of the bookstores mentioned in this book are ones I had never heard of, which really cemented the idea of who holds the power over the archive. Even Adams admitted much of what she discovered came from weaving bits and pieces together from old articles, journals, and a lot of luck. I also love the way that the author shows a through line between the stores. Even stores that existed in different locations or at different times seem to have something in common with each other (and not just the fact that the government worked tirelessly to shut them down). Overall, this gave me more appreciation for the work that these booksellers put forth.

I feel as though I learned a lot from this book and it is definitely one that I would recommend, so if you have the chance, go check it out at your local library or indie bookstore!

Black bookstores and Black-owned bookstores struggle, like many other small businesses, but also in different ways. Adams walks us through the decades and hints a bit at the morphing edge of future outlook for these businesses in his book. (Black bookstores are not only Black-owned but also focus on works about Black culture, roots, history, systemic racism and the like.) The book clearly gives you a sense of the bookstores, the owners, their dreams, visions for their businesses and the neighborhoods they inhabited and served. Some were rallying points and educational centers for their communities. Some got more involved in movements towards more equity, liberation (freedom from oppression and prejudice—my definition).

So, we learn that in the 1940s through and into the 1980s, as Black bookstores tried to counter prevailing dominant culture thinking, law enforcement often got nervous and took actions that created hindrances for profitable operations. It’s hard enough to operate a small business, watching costs, trying to increase sales through marketing in a broad sense, as well as having dependable, good employees. Black-owned bookstores also had to deal with a lack of culturally relevant product. The author documents the paucity and then the growth in published works and printing houses. And the continued struggle even into the 2020s from the business-operations standpoint. There is no immunity to the retail trends in the last two decades. But there have been some successes.

This is not just story-telling about people and places. There are some statistics, though the author acknowledges (frequently) that there is no single database to determine how many bookstores, when they were launched and when they ceased operating. But you still get a good feel that, relative to the larger publishing and selling industry, there are many but still a sliver of the overall pie.

This book is not a recitation of all the systemic obstacles. There are other books that would describe the environment in which these bookstores operated. The same cultural inertia that affects all Black businesses and Black life are documented very well in other books. Adams spends some time noting that Black-owned bookstores are susceptible to the same apathy and antagonism that infuses the dominant culture.

But here in this book: Come meet the movers and shakers in this business sector. Cheer them on. Empathize with their business struggle. Moan as cultural warfare tries to just ignore the racial issues and flow around these businesses isolating them like islands in a retail river. But most of all try to pay attention to what has worked and what hasn’t as the decades go on. There are lessons here for entrepreneurs and activists.

Well researched and told history of the importance of Black bookstores along with some of the owners that garnered a national reputation. There were a couple of big misses, that were glaring to me. Lushena books, A&B books and Culture Plus. All were major Black book distributors in NYC. Luther Warner with Lushena would often give vendors and small bookstores books on consignment and you would pay when you sold them. Just a minor oversight.

I mean you obviously can’t include everything.
But I would say the history that is laid out is comprehensive and gives one a great understanding of the uniqueness of Black bookstores and their place in the culture. The meaning of the Black bookstore is vividly brought to life through exacting prose by Ms. Adams. This is certainly a resource worth having. Thanks to Tiny Reparations Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Book drops 11-4-2025

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.

This book was a well-curated tour through the history and highs and lows of Black bookstores and the way they've woven themselves into the fabric of this country. There are few businesses that take on an activist bent quite like a bookshop, and that goes double for a business focused on promoting and advocating for civil rights.

While there are moments through the middle of the book that I felt veered a bit too far into different tangents (mainly flashing forward and backward in time), by the end the book wraps up nicely. The addition of recommended reading and a state-by-state list of active bookshops was outstanding.

As a long-time resident of the Dallas area, I had no idea that Pan-African Connection, The Dock Bookshop or Blacklit existed. I hope to visit soon to see what they've got and support them.

Wow!! A dissertation on the etiology of black bookstores in America… As a book lover and avid supporter of black authors, this book thoroughly intrigued me and spoke to the side of my brain that thirsts for knowledge. Char Adams just gave me the educational lesson that I never knew I needed. Her thorough research of black bookstores was well crafted and gave us a historical perspective with pertinent details. I personally had no idea how the need for black bookstores emerged nor their importance. This has been one of the integral details, like many others, excluded from history books. Likewise, word of mouth or passing down information through black generations has not been enough to preserve the significance of black bookstores.

This book also includes the top 10 reads recommended for every black person. I must admit that I’ve only read five, so I have homework as a result of reading this gem. I also appreciated the glossary of current black bookstores throughout the country and categorized by state. This was a great addition that I will be using in my travels! This treatise is so timely and well constructed. It is one of those books that should be perched on a bookshelf or coffee table in every black home. Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the e-ARC!

I found this to be really informative. Although I am a big supporter of indie bookstores, I haven't know much of the history. To have that brought to the front was really interesting. In general, I really enjoyed the book and I found that there is so much that I didn't know.

As an avid book lover, there’s unparalleled joy in witnessing the celebration of black bookstores through the lens of two incredible books. In a world fraught with challenges, these publications serve as a beacon of hope, highlighting the resilience and creativity thriving within the black bookstore community. Black bookstores have long stood as pillars of culture and education. They provide spaces where black voices and stories can be celebrated, shared, and cherished. Far beyond mere places to purchase books, they function as community hubs that foster connection, understanding, and empowerment.
One such powerful book is Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams. This book not only delves into the intricacies of running a black bookstore but also explores the vibrant narratives and rich experiences within these spaces. Readers are offered a deep dive into the triumphs and trials that bookstore owners face, gaining a nuanced understanding of the dedication and passion involved.
These books and bookstores hold significant cultural importance. They highlight the role of black bookstores in preserving and promoting black literature and thought. Readers gain valuable insights into the business side of running a bookstore, including the unique challenges and opportunities faced by black bookstore owners. The stories within these pages are filled with inspiration, illustrating the power of perseverance and the impact of community support.
In these challenging times, supporting black authors and black bookstores is more crucial than ever. By purchasing this book, readers not only enrich their understanding and appreciation of black culture but also contribute to the sustainability and growth of these vital community institutions.
I had the honor of speaking with Char Adams about my struggles in running a bookstore while working a full-time job. This book is a celebration of love, resilience, and the enduring spirit of black bookstores—a dream realized for anyone passionate about literature and the preservation of black narratives.
I encourage you to support this author and her work, as she offers a window into the world of black bookstores—arguably the best in the world. By doing so, you not only honor the past and present of black literature but also invest in its future.

Black-Owned provides the perfect answer to those who think that books aren’t political. Without these bookstores, generations of Black Americans wouldn’t have had a safe place to go when civil unrest reared its head, nor would they have had a communal meeting spot when it was time to protest.

Books and reading are inherently political, so it was good to learn about the politics that informed each bookstore the author profiled. It was also nice to see that the author didn’t pick one sub-genre of stores. Instead, she discussed those with Black Nationalist and Pan-African ties, among others.

I was fascinated—and at times infuriated—by this look into a portion of the Black experience that I previously knew nothing about. Books like these are powerful for people of any race and everyone should read them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Char Adams tackles a lesser-explored topic in Black-Owned. Her book considers the black-owned bookstore owner, the store, the surrounding communities, the books and their authors, and the publishing world. While the political and economic climates affected the peaks and valleys of the life of the stores, the concept of connection through books prevails.

A fascinating piece of American History paired with Adams' writing style make this an enjoyable nonfiction read. Her meticulous research, spanning almost 100 years, includes interviews, photos, and references. Additionally, she adds a resource section at the end of her book, listing black-owned stores by state and black-owned online stores.

I highly recommended this book to history buffs, entrepreneurs, booklovers, and anyone looking for an uplifting nonfiction read.

[I look forward to sharing more about this book on its publication date and appreciate ARC.]

#BlackOwned #Netgalley #nonfiction

I worked as a bookseller in a "big box" store for twelve years, in a small town that also supported multiple indie bookstores. Well, guess who's still here? Yep, the indies, thank goodness.
This was such a fascinating delve into the history of black-owned independent bookstores, beginning in the '60's and '70's, a time of civil unrest and political upheaval. Store owners usually got by by the skin of their teeth, rarely saw much of a profit, and often took personal risks to keep their stores open to people who needed a safe place to voice opinions, discuss radical literature, and feed their hope for a more just society.
Very well written, diligently researched, and full of great photos.
I've already emailed my local bookstore and encouraged them to put it on their shopping list.