Black-owned bookstores rebound, but face hurdles
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Black-owned bookstores are rebounding nationwide, but most still face structural and economic challenges.
Why it matters: For the first time, there's a national, data-backed record of Black-owned bookstores.
- These are institutions that have long served as literacy hubs and cultural anchors in their communities, per the National Association of Black Bookstores' (NAB2) first state of the Black bookstore report released Tuesday at a Pittsburgh news conference.
The big picture: About 325 Black-owned bookstores operated nationwide in the late 1990s.
- That number fell to roughly 55 within two decades amid bookseller Amazon's rise. Renewed interest in Black authors and shrinking big-box retailers like Barnes & Noble have helped fuel a revival in recent years, per NAB2.
Yes, but: Growth hasn't translated into financial security for many independent sellers.
- Systemic barriers to capital, rising rents and higher inventory costs make it hard for bookstores to open or sustain storefronts.
- Many owners say major author tours and high-profile literary events often exclude them, limiting their visibility and revenue.
By the numbers: The report tallied 306 Black-owned bookstores nationwide, about 8% of all indie bookstores.
- Nearly 90% report annual revenue under $250,000.
- 36% have no permanent brick-and-mortar space.
- Fourteen states had no Black-owned bookstores.
Zoom in: California-based NAB2 launched a first-of-its-kind national directory of Black-owned book shops, mobile sellers, pop-ups and online stores.
- Pittsburgh has two: the Young Dreamers' Bookstore — a mobile and online seller of children's books — and The Tiny Bookstore in Ross Township's Pines Plaza.
- Eleven are listed in Pennsylvania.
Zoom out: Indie bookstores are seeing a resurgence across the U.S., with the number jumping by nearly 70% in the past five years, per the American Booksellers Association.
What they're saying: "Black bookstores have always done more with less," said Yvonne Blake, a founding NAB2 board member. "This report honors the work that came before us while making clear what must change if these bookstores are going to be here for the next generation."
The bottom line: The footprint is growing again, but without sustained investment and industry partnerships, many Black-owned bookstores remain one slow season away from instability.