Part Three: 20 Black-Owned Bookstores To Support This Holiday Season

For Writer Wednesday and Christmas Eve, we’re closing out this series with 20 more Black-owned bookstores. Some are perfect for last-minute gifts and book hauls, others are online or pop-up shops you can support from anywhere. All of them are doing the work of keeping Black stories in circulation.

1. Frugal Bookstore (Roxbury, Massachusetts)

Frugal Bookstore is Boston’s only Black-owned bookstore and a cornerstone of the Roxbury community. Their motto is “Changing minds one book at a time,” and they back it up with shelves full of Black literature for children, teens, and adults, plus special orders for anything you can’t find. 

Website: https://frugalbookstore.net

2. Footprints Bookshop (New Bedford, Massachusetts)

Footprints Bookshop is a Black, woman-owned bookstore dedicated to amplifying Black, Indigenous, and other authors of color. The space is built around diversity, inclusivity, and community, making it a powerful spot for readers who want their shelves to reflect the world they live in. 

Website: https://bookshop.org/shop/footprintscafellc

3. Olive Tree Books-n-Voices (Springfield, Massachusetts)

Olive Tree Books-n-Voices is a family-owned Black bookstore that has been serving Springfield since 2002. Located in a historic building, it focuses on African American books for all ages and uses its space to build community through reading, conversation, and local events. 

Website: https://olivetreebooksonline.com

4. Mahogany Books (Washington, D.C. & Oxon Hill, Maryland)

Mahogany Books is a Black-owned, family-run bookstore that centers books written for, by, or about people of the African diaspora. With locations in D.C. and National Harbor plus a strong online presence, they promote reading, writing, and cultural awareness as tools for community change. 

Website: https://www.mahoganybooks.com

5. Loyalty Bookstores (Washington, D.C. & Silver Spring, Maryland)

Loyalty Bookstores is a Black, queer, and Asian-owned indie chain that centers Black, POC, and queer voices. Between its Petworth flagship and Silver Spring location, Loyalty offers diverse shelves, thoughtful staff picks, and events that make readers feel at home. 

Website: https://www.loyaltybookstores.com

6. Sankofa Video Books & Cafe (Washington, D.C.)

Sankofa Video Books & Cafe, across from Howard University, has been a cultural hub since 1997. Named after the Ghanaian principle of “go back and get it,” the store offers books and films by and about people of African descent, along with food, coffee, and a full calendar of community events. 

Website: https://www.sankofa.com

7. Source Booksellers (Detroit, Michigan)

Source Booksellers is a longtime Black woman-owned bookstore in Detroit specializing in carefully curated nonfiction. From history and politics to health, spirituality, and the arts, they offer a unique niche that has earned national recognition and a devoted local following. 

Website: https://www.sourcebooksellersonline.com

8. Detroit Book City (Southfield, Michigan)

Detroit Book City is a Black-owned independent travel and pop-up bookstore that focuses on African American books, media, and family-friendly events. They carry new and used titles, including rare and out-of-print Black books, and host book fairs that spotlight local and national indie authors. 

Website: https://detroitbookcity.store

9. Brown Sugar & Spice Books (Romulus, Michigan)

Brown Sugar & Spice Books has been highlighting diverse and inclusive literature since the early 1990s, starting as a mail-order catalog and growing into a beloved online operation. The collection is curated to help families and schools access books that center people of color and their histories. 

Website: https://brownssbooks.com

10. EyeSeeMe African American Children’s Bookstore (University City, Missouri)

EyeSeeMe is one of the largest African American children’s bookstores in the United States. Its mission is to provide parents, teachers, and schools with high-quality children’s books that offer positive images and stories about African American culture and history, helping kids see themselves reflected in what they read. 

Website: https://eyeseeme.com

11. Aframerican Bookstore (Omaha, Nebraska)

Aframerican Bookstore in Omaha specializes in a wide catalog of books that highlight African American authors and perspectives. The store’s selection spans history, politics, spirituality, and literature, offering a deep well of material for readers who want to study Black contribution and culture in depth. 

Website: https://aframericanbookstore.com

12. Café con Libros (Brooklyn, New York)

Café con Libros is an Afro-Latine, woman- and veteran-owned intersectional feminist bookstore and coffee shop in Crown Heights. It serves as a community space where books, coffee, and programming come together to center women, femmes, and non-binary voices from around the world. 

Website: https://www.cafeconlibrosbk.com

13. Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center (New York, New York)

Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center has been holding space for Black literature, local authors, artists, and neighbors in Washington Heights for more than twenty years. It remains one of New York City’s few independent Black-owned bookstores and functions as both a shop and a gathering place for learning and community care. 

Website: https://www.sistersuptownbookstore.com

14. Liberation Station Bookstore (North Carolina)

Liberation Station is an independent, globally recognized Black children’s bookstore founded in North Carolina. Known as the state’s first Black-owned children’s bookstore, it focuses on making representation accessible, creating imaginative literacy programming, and ensuring Black children see themselves reflected in the stories they read. 

Website: https://liberationstationbookstore.com

15. Shelves Bookstore (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Shelves Bookstore is a Black-owned independent online and pop-up bookstore based in Charlotte. Their motto is “Where reading is a lifestyle,” and they live it through monthly book subscriptions, curated picks, and virtual hangouts that keep readers engaged beyond the page. 

Website: https://shelvesbookstore.com

16. A Cultural Exchange (Cleveland, Ohio)

A Cultural Exchange in Cleveland focuses on building communities where children read. Through its bookstore and literacy programs, it provides books and resources that center Black children and families, helping to close reading gaps while nurturing a love of story. 

Website: (via AALBC directory) https://aalbc.com/bookstore/A%2BCultural%2BExchange%2B

17. Fulton Street Books & Coffee (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Fulton Street Books & Coffee opened in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District as a Black-owned bookstore and coffee shop dedicated to community, conversation, and social justice. While its physical space has faced serious challenges and is in the process of closing, its impact on Tulsa’s literary ecosystem is significant, and you can still follow and support its work online. 

Website: https://www.fultonstreet918.com

18. Third Eye Books (Portland, Oregon)

Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts is an independently owned Black bookstore in Portland offering African-centered books, accessories, and wellness products. Founded in 2019, it has become a vital hub for Black literature and community events in the Pacific Northwest, with a strong emphasis on cultural pride and healing. 

Website: https://thirdeyebag.com

19. Harriett’s Bookshop (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Harriett’s Bookshop, named for Harriet Tubman, is a Black woman-owned bookstore in Philly’s Fishtown neighborhood that celebrates women authors, artists, and activists. Since opening just before the pandemic, it has become an avant-garde literary space, known for its bold curation, public art, and community-centered events. 

Website: https://harriettsbookshop.com

20. Books and Crannies (Martinsville, Virginia)

Books and Crannies is a Black woman-owned independent bookstore in Martinsville that opened in 2016 to fill a regional gap in book access. It offers a general interest selection of new and used books, plus audiobooks, e-books, and merch online, making it easy to support the store in person or from afar. 

Website: https://www.booksandcranniesva.com