By Chris Olsen
There are just over 2,000 independent booksellers in the U.S., operating around 2,500 shops. The vast majority of them were founded by white men. Publish Her is committed to elevating Black women business owners and authors. Join us in supporting these Black women-owned booksellers:
BLACK GARNET BOOKS: A Minneapolis, Minnesota-based bookstore specializing in Adult and YA contemporary literature by Black and racially diverse authors; founded by Dionne Sims. BlackGarnetBooks.com
BRAIN LAIR BOOKS: A South Bend, Indiana-based bookstore striving to help its customers see themselves through books; founded by Kathy Burnette. BrainLairBooks.com
FULTON STREET BOOKS AND COFFEE: A Tulsa, Oklahoma-based shop that elevates life stories about the experiences of people of color and marginalized communities; founded by Onikah Asamoa-Caesar. FultonStreet918.com
GOOD BOOKS: An Atlanta, Georgia-based store that combines the wonder of books and Black culture; founded by Katie and Katherine Mitchell. GoodBooksATL.com
THE LIT. BAR: An independent bookstore and wine bar combination located in the Bronx, New York; founded by Noëlle Santos. TheLitBar.com
LOYALTY BOOKSTORES: A Black and queer bookseller working to diversify the book industry and promote anti-racist reading; founded by Hannah Oliver Depp. LoyaltyBookstores.com
NICHE BOOK BAR: A Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based bookstore showcasing new and used books and specializing in hard to find Black literature in a variety of genres; founded by Cetonia Weston. FindYourNicheMKE.com
OUR SISTER BOOKSHOPS: Two bookshops, Harriet’s Bookshop and Ida’s Bookshop, celebrating women authors, artists and activists; founded by Jeannine Cook. OurSisterBookshops.com
PLANTING PEOPLE GROWING JUSTICE PRESS AND BOOKSTORE: A Minnesota-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting literacy, cultural awareness and leadership development. Founded by Dr. Artika Tyner. ppgibooks.com
SEMICOLON BOOKSTORE: A Chicago, Illinois-based bookstore and art gallery nurturing the connections between literature, art and the pursuit of knowledge; founded by Danielle Mullen. SemicolonChi.com
SHADES OF AFRIKA: A California-based store that offers books, natural hair care, oils and holistic products and strives for the betterment of its communities; founded by Renee Quarles. ShadesOfAfrika.com
SISTER’S UPTOWN: A New York City-based bookstore and culture center on a mission to provide a positive source of information and ideas; founded by Janifer and Kari Wilson. SistersUptownBookstore.com
STORIES OF A COLORFUL WORLD: An online bookstore that believes every child deserves to see themselves in the books they read; founded by Vanessa Mitchell and Kanika Mobley. StoriesOfAColorfulWorld.com
STRIVE BOOKSTORE: A Minneapolis, Minnesota-based shop featuring books and products from Strive Publishing, an organization using publishing to heal, teach, learn and earn. Founded by Mary Taris. StrivePublishing.com
Do you own or support a Black women-owned bookstore not mentioned here? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list!
Photo credit: Black Garnet Books
About the Author
Chris Olsen is a broadcast media veteran turned communications consultant, educator and the author of “Whyography: Building a Brand Fueled by Purpose.” The founder of Publish Her and Publish Her Story, Chris has helped thousands of women tell their stories and publish their books.
About Publish Her
Publish Her is a female-founded and focused publisher dedicated to elevating the words, writing and stories of women. We are passionate about amplifying the voices of women of color, women with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We aim to make publishing an attainable, exciting and collaborative process for all. Publish Her specializes in print-on-demand books, workbooks, journals, magazines and more.
