Please join us on March 24 as we begin Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams.

In Black-Owned, Adams celebrates the living history of Black bookstores. Filled with stories of activism, espionage, violence, community, and perseverance, the book begins with the first Black-owned bookstore, opened by an abolitionist in New York in 1834. After the shop’s violent demise, Black book lovers carried forward its mission.

In the twentieth century, civil rights and Black Power activists sparked a nationwide boom in Black bookstores. Malcolm X delivered speeches in front of the National Memorial African Book Store in Harlem, a place known as “Speakers’ Corner.”

 Later, Black bookstores became targets of FBI surveillance, police scrutiny, and racist vigilantes. Yet despite these challenges, these stores continued to nourish Black political movements and community life.

Full of vibrant characters and written with cinematic flair, Black-Owned is a powerful story of community, resistance, and joy.

Reading Schedule

March 24 – Introduction–Chapter 2

March 31 – Chapters 3–4

April 7 – No meeting

April 14 – Chapters 5–6

April 28 – Chapter 9–Conclusion

The DEI Book Club meets Tuesdays from 9:00–10:30 AM on Zoom.

To join, please contact deibookclub@iucc.org.

All are welcome!