Black-owned bookstores hit record numbers, but many struggle
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A section of African American history books at Powell's Bookstore in Portland, Oregon. Independent bookstores are rebounding nationwide, even as some schools and libraries face restrictions on books by Black authors. Photo: George Rose/Getty Images
Just 54 Black-owned bookstores were identified across the U.S a decade ago. Today, a new report counts 306.
Why it matters: As public schools and libraries remove books by Black authors — from Beloved to The 1619 Project — Black-owned bookstores are increasingly serving as places where readers can access contested titles and authors' full bodies of work — and gather in community to discuss them.
The big picture: Though the first State of the Black Bookstore report documented growth, that uptick masks economic fragility, a reality many owners say is forcing bookstores to evolve beyond traditional retail.
- "We're in a climate right now where our history is being erased and debated in schools and libraries," Jill Gibson, CEO of the National Association of Black Bookstores, said.
- "It points to a need more than ever for visibility into our voices, our stories and our history."
By the numbers: 90% of the stores report annual revenue under $250,000.
- 36% operate without a permanent brick-and-mortar location.
- 14 states have no Black-owned bookstore at all, and sales of books by Black authors declined 14% even as overall print sales slightly rose.
- Black-owned bookstores represent about 8% of independent bookstores— even though only 4% of the publishing workforce identifies as Black.
What they're saying: Atlanta's 44th and 3rd Bookseller owner Warren Lee told Axios, "We saw the shelf space for Black books shrinking — from a bookcase and a half to half a bookcase — even for major authors."
- Lee said independent bookstores play a role in preserving access to the full body of work by Black authors — a motivating factor in opening the store with his wife, Cheryl Lee.
- The store functions as a convening space — hosting authors, mentoring young writers and investing in literacy initiatives.
Lee called the industry's economics sobering.
- "Increased revenue is good. Profitability is always the challenge," Lee said, noting independent bookstores average roughly 3% net profit margins.
- "If that's considered successful," he added, "it means a lot of stores are operating at 2%, zero or even negative."
Zoom out: Black-owned bookstores — from Pittsburgh to Seattle — are leaning into curation, programming and partnerships to diversify revenue and deepen community ties.
- In Philadelphia, Harriett's Bookshop founder Jeannine Cook said, "Our community has always revered the power of establishing institutions."
- "Opening a shop to host and bring folks together in addition to nourishing a hunger for knowledge is a noble act of confronting real-world problems with practical solutions."
At Estelita's Library in Seattle, co-founder Edwin Lindo, a professor at the University of Washington, launched the nonprofit bookstore with his wife, surgeon Estell Williams, as a way to invest in their community beyond their day jobs.
- "I don't think book selling is a lucrative proposition," Lindo said. "The space is the proposition."
- Founded in 2018 as a nonprofit social-justice library and bookstore, Estelita's archives one of the largest collections of original Black Panther Party newspapers and has raised about $16 million toward a project that will include affordable housing.
- "Historically, organizing around Black liberation happened in the back rooms of bookstores," Lindo said. "They weren't just selling books — they were creating space."
The bottom line: The resurgence of Black-owned bookstores shows renewed demand for Black literature and identity-focused spaces, but many owners say survival now depends on becoming more than just retail.
- "Books are the appetizer," Lindo said. "They bring people in, but the real work is the people who gather around them."
