Black-Owned

“In Black-Owned, Char Adams meticulously describes the stores and their owners. She conjures the social context and brings the owners to life in all of their brilliance, frustration and resolve.”—BookTrib“This is an enlightening book about progress as much as it is about cultivating a love of reading. Adams has produced an impactful work that should be proudly displayed on many bookshelves.”—Bookreporter“Black-Owned by Char Adams stands out as a critical piece of contemporary journalism and history.”—The Canton News“Black-Owned needs to be read, especially by folks who’ve never been inside a Black-owned bookstore. I have and their effect on neighborhoods, on literacy, on getting kids reading, is amazing and inspiring. So is this passionate and honest book.”—James Patterson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Writer and The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians“Black-owned bookstores are part of a larger history that brought together people like my grandparents during the Civil Rights Movement, where they joined study groups to discuss revolutionary texts and learn how to organize. These convening spaces of fellowship, teaching, and celebration played a vital role then, and modern pioneers like For Keeps Books show us what is possible — and needed — right now.”—Meena Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ambitious Girl“Char Adams’s comprehensive history of Black bookstores in the U.S. is long overdue. The book is meticulously researched and the stories are engrossing. Grab a cup of tea and learn about David Ruggles’s early 19th century bookstore and stay through the golden age of Black bookselling. What a gift!”—Mariame Kaba, New York Times bestselling author of We Do This ‘Til We Free Us“A deeply researched, beautiful tribute, and a heartfelt history of the sometimes small, but always mighty Black bookshop.” —Evan Friss, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop“Black-Owned is a fierce, radiant love letter to the Black bookstore—a celebration of resistance and community. Char Adams has written a breathtakingly important book that ignites the spirit and demands to be read.”—Uché Blackstock, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Legacy“This pioneering study features exemplary research, deep explication of historical context, and engaging human-interest narratives as Adams makes the case that Black-owned bookstores are particularly resilient because they are community-oriented… An excellent history that will make a fine addition to public and university libraries.”—Library Journal, starred review“An illuminating history of America’s Black-owned bookstores… This will hold immense appeal for bibliophiles.”—Publishers Weekly“Adams chronicles the courageous, determined, and tenacious people who ran legendary bookstores across the country… Despite overt racism, gentrification, and the online, revolution, the Black bookstore will never vanish.””—Booklist“An enlightening history for students of the Black experience and readers of books about books.”—Kirkus

Char Adams is a former reporter for NBC News and for People. Her writing on race and identity has appeared in The New York Times, The New Republic, Oprah Daily, Vice, Teen Vogue, and Bustle. She is a proud Philadelphia native and now lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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