Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore

by Char Adams

Longtime NBC News reporter Char Adams writes a deeply compelling and rigorously reported history of Black political movements told through the lens of Black-owned bookstores, which have been centers for organizing from abolition to the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter.

In Black-Owned, Char Adams celebrates the living history of Black bookstores. Packed with stories of activism, espionage, violence, community, and perseverance, Black-Owned starts with the first Black-owned bookstore, which an abolitionist opened in New York in 1834, and after the bookshop’s violent demise, Black book-lovers carried on its cause. In the twentieth century, civil rights and Black Power activists started a Black bookstore boom nationwide. Malcolm X gave speeches in front of the National Memorial African Book Store in Harlem—a place dubbed “Speakers’ Corner”—and later, Black bookstores became targets of FBI agents, police, and racist vigilantes. Still, stores continued to fuel Black political movements.

Amid these struggles, bookshops were also places of Eartha Kitt and Langston Hughes held autograph parties at their local Black-owned bookstores. Maya Angelou became the face of National Black Bookstore Week. And today a new generation of Black activists is joining the radical bookstore tradition, with rapper Noname opening her Radical Hood Library in Los Angeles and several stores making national headlines when they were overwhelmed with demand in the Black Lives Matter era. As Adams makes clear, in an time of increasing repression, Black bookstores are needed now more than ever.

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


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF with a list of recommended books and a guide for finding Black-owned bookstores by state.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Race, Books About Books, Audiobook, Politics, Social Justice

8 pages, Audible Audio

First published November 4, 2025

Reviews

[Andre(Read-A-Lot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[John (LHBC) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore. It taught me a lot of history, but more than that, it helped me understand the forces that shape history in the first place. Char Adams makes it clear that Black bookstores were never just places to buy books. They were sanctuaries, organizing spaces, and lifelines. These shops carried ideas that were often unwelcome or outright targeted elsewhere, especially during Jim Crow and the Black Power era. Reading this felt like a reminder that knowledge does not move history on its own. People protect it, pass it along, and sometimes risk everything to keep it alive.

Adams does not gloss over how fragile these spaces have been. The decline of Black bookstores, driven by surveillance, gentrification, and the rise of online retail, hits hard. At the same time, the resurgence she documents feels earned and hopeful, powered by new owners, pop-ups, and social media savvy. One idea really stuck with me: claiming physical space is itself an act of resistance. A Black-owned bookstore is more than a storefront. It is a line drawn that says this space belongs, this history matters. Lose the bookstore and you lose part of the map. If you think bookstores are just retail, this book will change your mind fast. If you love books, it might also change how you walk into one.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was Invited to Listen to Buzz Books Zoom Panel and Char Adams spoke about this book. I thought it was a timely book considering all the book banning and loss of Independent Book Stores.

I found this book did a great job with the history of Black-Owned and Black Represented Books. It covers a long period of how black-owned book stores started as revolutionary arms to causes that more radical groups were pushing forward. This was during the Civil Rights Area and Also when Blacks Rights were seen to represent not just the United States, but a Pan-African Movement. So, the book store became a place to find out about other groups and activities. This did not come at a small price as the book stores were monitored by the government.

As, times changed Black Readership expanded greatly, but had a more broad range of books. Women wanted to read books about their lives and were reading books that represented this. The Book Stores also offered a place of Community and could offer classes and Book Reading for Children. This was not something a Chain Store could offer. Further, since Black Book Store owners cultivated early talent, these authors stayed loyal to them and would come and speak at their book stores.

Challenges did come up. Chain Stores could offer big discounts and carried a larger selection of black themed books. Then when on-line ordering, especially through Amazon started, it became hard to compete. I think the challenge will always be, that an Independent Book Store must offer more, something you can not get just by ordering a book. There are different avenues to explore and think for all Independent Stores this will be the challenge that will continue. I find many independent book stores offer Author Events, so then will purchase a book at Full Price. Writing Work Shops and Independent Classes Work as Well. Otherwise, paying Full Price for a Pretty Shop that doesn’t offer Book Clubs or Other Community Events, I tend to like the store, but am not likely to pay 2X the price to Go There. This I think will be especially true for Black-Owned Stores. So, having a Physical Store is more expensive, but definitely has something huge to offer that can be expanded upon.

Overall, just interesting to Read the history and see the Social Changes. Well Written and Documented Book. Author, Char Adams did an excellent job presenting all that occurred. I really enjoyed reading this. With Book Bans becoming extremely prevalent, some think it just affects that one book, but it has a chilling effect across the entire industry. So, anyone who does not think having access to a large selection of books is imperative, I believe needs to think that through. Reading does change thoughts and often that leads to action both personal and political. Definitely Recommend this Book if Interested in this type of History.

Thank you NetGalley, Buzz Books, and Penguin Group Dutton for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of U.S. black-owned bookstores, starting with the very beginning in the 1830s with David Ruggles and his pushcart selling books at a time when many blacks were enslaved and forbidden to read. Then the turbulent 60's and 70's, and through the decades to today. There are only a few people and stores profiled. The book could not be comprehensive for all stores that existed at one time

In the late 60s there weren’t many black-owned stores, and the FBI kept tabs on those that did exist. Unfortunately, they were also targeted. Drum and Spear was one such store and worker Ralph Featherstone was killed in a car bomb likely planted by the FBI. Another store, Liberation, had been sent a package of dynamite that killed a bookstore employee and injured the owner Una Mulzac.
Later, in the aughts Karibu Bookstore was profiled as the chain of stores didn’t last long. Among other problems, it also was up against what all bookstores have a problem with, the big box stores and the online giant amazon.

More recently black-owned bookstores had a surge of sales for a while when the Black Lives Matter protests and movement was started. That surge has since eased off back to the usual level of bookselling and activity.

Listed in the back of the book are over 50 black-owned bookstores by state and around 40 online stores that were once brick and mortar stores. This type of list can only be a snapshot in time. Likely more stable is the list of 10 books black booksellers want everyone to read.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history both past and present, about Black and Black owned bookstores, here in the United States. This goes in depth as to how Black bookstores evolved, and survived, while being relegated to the margins in the book world. They started as places of revolution and as various movements grew, the bookstores adapted. Black bookstores are a true third space for their community while also educating and centering Black voices. A great read for all who love bookstores.

I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

[Charnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This country will always need Black bookstores and there will always be Black bookstores.”
This is such required reading. A guide, a record, a manifesto on the history and importance of the Black bookstore and Black books in america. Highly recommend.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique, fascinating, history of Black-owned bookshops.

[Holly Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an extensive, well-reported, and well-told story of the history of Black-owned bookstores from slavery to the present-day. We see how Black bookstores were consistently a place for education, celebrating Black history and culture, mobilization and activism, and community. Char Adams also incorporates the history of the Black publishing industry as well as well-known Black authors and classic works, both fiction and nonfiction. Super fascinating, a lot of the booksellers’ histories were so inspiring, there are pictures throughout. Lots of nuance and political implications I never considered, and the chapter on COVID & BLM was very sobering. I added many Black books to my TBR. The back has a list of Black-owned bookstores by stat, as well as 10 books every Black bookseller wants you to read.

[Lauren M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a brilliant look at the history (and future) of Black bookstores in America. In style and format, it reminded me a lot of the more generalist The Bookshop by Evan Friss, in that it zeroed in on specific notable bookshops and told their stories, and it offered an interesting and varied selection of shops across the States and across decades.

Explaining the place of Black bookstores as, in many cases, revolutionary institutions, and as, in most cases, much needed third places and settings to uplift and promote works by Black writers, Char Adams traces and situates their stories in an informative and engaging way.

It also reminds us in a more general way of the importance of independent and particularly specialized independent bookstores and their knowledgable staff and sellers in the face of massive chains and soulless online retailers.

[Lauren Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who already values books and bookstores, this felt like learning the deeper history behind spaces I’ve always cared about. The book highlights how Black bookstores have long been centers of community, political thought, and cultural survival. What stood out most to me was the focus on the people who ran these stores and the work it took to keep them going, often under intense pressure. It adds important context without feeling distant or detached, and it’s a meaningful read for anyone interested in Black history, literature, or community spaces.

[Kate Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fascinating and important read. Especially near the beginning, I found it much more academic than I usually read, but it was worth it for the history lesson. I was so excited to learn my state has a Black-owned bookstore that I need to visit eventually. 😍

I do disagree with some of the politics mentioned in this, particularly the antizionism.

[Cliff B · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8. Very good!

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring read for the social justice and diversity-minded reader. I especially loved learning about David Ruggles, who owned the first Black bookstore in the US and who operated as part of the Underground Railroad to help escaped enslaved peoples to freedom, at great personal and professional risk. BLACK-OWNED jumps around in a time a bit, and the timeline of each Black bookstore covered followed similar frustrating patterns of initial community success, surveillance and intimidation by law enforcement, and eventual closing due to corporate capitalization of reading and book-buying habits.

I am glad, however, to have the takeaway that the Black bookstore has historically been a site of grassroots resistance against oppressive power structures, focused on building community rather than expanding profit margins. It gives me a greater understanding of why it's all the more important nowadays to support independent bookstores, particularly those owned and run by people of the global majority, if we value concepts such as community, support, and persistence over exploitation and mindless consumption.

Overall, while BLACK-OWNED isn't essential reading, I enjoyed it much in the way that I enjoyed Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship recently as a complement to reading Morrison's own works: it deepened my appreciation of independent bookstores and the historical Black liberation struggle, which is all of our liberation struggles.

[Monique Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this on on Libby. An interesting nonfiction book as the title suggests about black bookstores and their history here in America. We are shown how black bookstores have had big affects on our communities and in activism. You can tell that the author did a lot of research to present this history to us and I appreciate being able to learn about the history of black bookstores I wasn’t as aware of. Overall left the book inspired to seek out black owned bookstores I can visit in person.

[JRT · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This book is not simply a comprehensive history but an account of the ways Black bookstores have served as the communal backbone pivotal to movements throughout our nation’s history.”

“Black bookstores have always been present. They were places of refuge and political action, where people felt safe to gather together and make plans for radical demonstrations. Now Black-owned bookstores have reclaimed their place not simply as a part of Black culture but as a centerpiece of Black resistance.”

These powerful words are from the end of this tremendous book from author and journalist Chad Adams. They drive home the basic point of “Black-Owned”—that Black-owned bookstores are more than just businesses—they are community institutions and centers of Black organizational, cultural, and educational development. To state differently, Black bookstores are the keepers of Black consciousness and the focal points of community-centered education and uplift.

“Black-Owned” is a real inspiration. At its core, it’s an account of the history and difficulties of Black institution building in a hostile, racial capitalist, and anti-Black society. Adams traces the history and development of Black-owned bookshops across the nation—beginning with pioneer and Underground Railroad revolutionary David Ruggles—all the way to the present day. In doing so, Adams highlights a remarkable story of grit, determination, and commitment to collective advancement of African Americans in this country, centered around the community bookstore. The book also provides insight on the varied and compelling details that go into operating a Black bookstore, thereby charting a pathway for the future of Black bookshop ownership rooted in understanding of the past.

[Nicholas Mccane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just wow! This book was fascinating and arrived right on time for me. There is so much history in these pages that I’m calling it a must-read for anyone interested in Black history. It’s incredibly thorough. I took my time reading it because it’s packed with knowledge. There are sticky notes on damn near every page of my hardcover.

We first learn about David Ruggles, who ran the country’s first known Black-owned bookstore in the 1800s, along with so many other pioneers. I mean, it’s loaded with nuggets.

I have always known about the government’s attempts to silence Black leaders, but I didn’t realize the extent of what was done to Black bookstores and their owners.

Author Char Adams did an amazing job; you can tell she likely spent years on research alone.

I am currently at war with my local Barnes & Noble over how they never have new releases from popular Black authors, or how they refuse to put up displays for Black History Month. Since February 6, 2026, I’ve only shopped at Black-owned bookstores and indie bookstores that support our authors.

One of the best things about this book is in the back. there’s a list of all active Black-owned bookstores.

My only critique is that the book felt a little dry at times. I listened to the audiobook while reading along with the physical copy. The narrator, Shayna Small, did an outstanding job, but at times it read more like a textbook.

Here’s a quote:

“Toni Morrison joined Random House as an editor in 1967 and immediately got to work. Random House published more than two dozen books by Black authors during Morrison’s sixteen years with the company. After she left, that number dwindled, with Random House publishing just two books by black authors between 1984 and 1990–one of which was Morrison’s own book Beloved.” 😡

[Marge Farney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️⭐️⭐️ well-researched and insightful, I learned a lot from this book about the history of Black and Black-owned bookstores in the U.S. through the stories of the people that built the businesses. The very first story with David Ruggles who was an abolitionist, helped people (including Fredrick Douglas) through the Underground Railroad to freedom, and started the first known Black-owned bookstore where he printed and shared anti-slavery pamphlets. Throughout the decades of rising and falling tides, opening and closing bookstores businesses, and changing politics and culture, Black-owned bookstores served communities in many ways. There were common themes of creating a third place, mentorship and community, radical and political roots, striving for literacy, community building, innovation, and the fight for representation in literature and publishing. Each bookstore included had a unique personality, history, goal, and contribution.

I think for me personally the writing style was a little dry - nonfiction for me is always a little bit hit and miss, but I learned a lot and enjoyed it overall.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great independent bookstore can become the heart of a community. This was even more true for black-owned bookshops in the 1960's to 90's. Because of the commitment of the store owners, members of the community could find books by black authors or on topics related to black history and civil rights that were rarely carried by other bookstores. This history was revealing and informative. Pick up your copy at your local independent bookstore!

[Alli Lavely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this thoughtful, well-written book, focusing on a timeline of Black-owned and operated bookstores across the United States.

Owning a business is always an undertaking for the bravest among us; owning a business as a person of color in a country built on racism adds an even deeper level of difficulty and complexity. Char Adams did an exemplary job of bringing that point home to the reader with every bookstore we visited. I had never heard of David Ruggles, nor was I aware of the culturally integral role Black-owned bookstores played during so many pivotal moments of history in this country.

Adam’s had a LOT of ground to cover, so I understand how it would be difficult to give each bookstore equal due without ending up with a 2,000 page book, but my only wish is that we could have delved a bit deeper into each bookstore. I would have really enjoyed more personal narratives from the owners, details about the stores and their locations, and a bit more historical nuance about each time period.

I wouldn’t call these gripes or problems, though. This book left me wanting to know even more, which I personally see as a good thing. She did an excellent job of drawing my interest.

Definitely recommend as required reading for any book or bookstore lover out there.

[Rachael Dockery · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 - Informative, accessible, and thoroughly enjoyable.

[Chapters of Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black-owned bookstores are more than stores — they’re revolutionary spaces, and this book shows exactly why.
Thank you, PRH Audio, for the #gifted copy of Black Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore #PRHaudiopartner

Genre: Non-fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 11.4.2025
Pages: 304
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black-Owned Bookstore by Char Adams was an eye-opening, powerful, and deeply necessary read. The book traces the story of Black-owned bookstores from 1834 to the present day, highlighting both their fragility and their incredible resilience. Adams shows how these stores have been so much more than retail spaces — they’ve been hubs of community, knowledge, resistance, and culture, especially throughout the civil rights movement.

This book really opened my eyes to just how essential these institutions are, and how much they’ve contributed to activism, identity, and connection. It was both educational and moving, blending history with lived experience in a way that felt engaging rather than academic. Truly such a unique and enriching read — and one I highly, highly recommend.

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆
The audiobook narration by Shayna Small was fantastic. You may recognize her from The Vanishing Half and Chain-Gang All Stars, and she brought that same depth and clarity here. Listening added so much emotion and presence to the history being told.

Read if you enjoy:
💞 History through community
📚 Books about activism
💛 Social justice history

______


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[Danielle Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Very informative and told in an enjoyable way. I was excited to read more of it (listen to it since I was doing the audiobook) and now I'm interested in learning more. I wasn't taught anything in this book during my school years (absolutely no surprise there), but I am so interested in learning more. These are the hallmarks of a great nonfiction book. Read it!

[Belinda Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to @prhaudio for the gifted ALC of Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams in exchange for my honest review.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams, narrated by Shayna Small, is a deeply researched and powerful chronicle of a vital yet often overlooked part of American history. Adams masterfully traces the rise, resilience, and reinvention of Black bookstores—from their roots in the Civil Rights era to their modern resurgence—placing them firmly within the broader cultural, political, and economic contexts that shaped them.

This book captures not only the struggles these stores faced amid shifting social landscapes but also the profound ways they nurtured community, fostered resistance, and created spaces of empowerment and knowledge. It’s both rigorous history and thoughtful analysis, illuminating how these bookstores became cultural lifelines and intellectual sanctuaries.

Shayna Small’s narration is beautiful and resonant, perfectly matching the tone and depth of Adams’s writing. Her delivery brings warmth and gravity to the stories, making the listening experience both informative and emotional.

A much-needed and long-overdue celebration of Black bookstores, Black-Owned is essential reading (and listening) for anyone interested in history, literature, and the power of community storytelling.

[TilDeathDoesSheRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so well written and depicts the challenges of the black bookstore throughout the decades and many of those challenges (and more) remain in current play. The efforts of those who pushed for black literature to become available to their communities were and are heroes in a country that continues to marginalize BIPOC creators and consumers. This book chronicles the rise and fall of several black independent booksellers and peels back to the early booksellers leaning all in on political movements throughout the years that so adversely affected our nation and our nation’s readers.

This is a very engaging read (and listen) for all bibliophiles and lovers of books.

Thank you @charadams

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sheer amount of research that went into this history is staggering. Char Adams not only provides a broad overview of the history of black and black owned bookstores, but also tells the story of individual bookstores with such detail it’s like you were really there, watching it happen.

The history of David Ruggles, who was the first black bookseller and black bookstore owner in the States after his work with the Underground Railroad, is incredible and he needs to be more well known.

Required reading for anyone even slightly in the orbit of the publishing and bookselling industries

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but frequently dry. I wish everything had been told as more of a story rather than just sharing a bunch of names and places and times and events without creating a cohesive narrative.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am always drawn towards well researched, socially engaging stories that spotlight resistance in all shapes and forms. Black Owned’s focus on abolition, civil rights history, and the Black Lives Matter organizing is right in my wheelhouse.

The book is a fast-paced book that relays portraits of community. It’s really an inspirational account of activism and community building, focusing on something many outside that community don’t think about: the Black Experience. Black owned bookstores don’t simply exist in a town or city; they are a gathering spot for uplifting a people that have often been minimized and overlooked for CENTURIES.

[Morgan Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

a pro of this book is that it made me more conscious going forward to try to buy my books from black bookstores, however I think that the overall storytelling got repetitive as I read through the book. the author does a great job of describing black bookstores in the US and the fall of some of these but there wasn’t a clear point or takeaway? the anecdotes about how some of these book stores housed civil rights meetings and organizing were a bit surface level, it just felt like the book lacked motivation aside from sharing timelines of these stores. I was also hoping to learn about the tree of life bookstore in New York more so it was disappointing it was only briefly mentioned.

[Shayla Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great oral history of Black owned bookstores in the U.S. and how important they were and still are to the Black community. I love books like this that does a deep dive into these topics and talks to the people and visits the places that make these movements happen. The Black bookstore is very important throughout history and is still important today in the face of book bans and more right leaning groups and individuals trying to silence Black voices. Shout out to Turning Page Bookstore in Goose Creek, SC that was mentioned!!!

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of Black bookstores that takes readers from the Underground Railroad through the turbulent 1960s and 70s to the present day to show how Black-owned bookstores were, and still are, at the center of resistance movements. The people who took chances opening Black bookstores against all odds as community hubs are the true heroes, especially given the personal sacrifices they made—financially as well as bodily. Books really are the true nourishment of revolutions, and I am in awe of what I learned as a result of reading Black-Owned. I highly recommend it!