“Happy Juneteenth to my people. Today we’re celebrating Black men, Black women, Black love, Black history, Our enslaved ancestors who persevered, the kings and queens who were our ancestors before them, and the people We are and will become. Your Black is beautiful, your Black is loved, your Black is wealthy, your Black is culture.”
-Yulani Semien
Juneteenth is all for support, love, respect, and rest. Here are some resources to support Black readers, writers, bookstores, hubs, and authors today and every other day.
By the way, here is my Juneteenth jams for today: Alright by Kendrick Lamar, DNA. by Kendrick Lamar, and United in Grief by Kendrick Lamar (it’s a Kendrick Lamar kind of day).
Bookstores / Hubs
For a good deal of every Black owned bookstore by state visit: https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a33497812/black-owned-bookstores/
My personal favorites:
Cafe con Libros (Brooklyn, NY)
The Free Black Women’s Library (Brooklyn, NY): book hub dedicated to Black women, Black women writers, and is a space for gathering, reading, and gardening. You can go to there site to mail books, email to volunteer,
Kindred Stories (Houston, TX)
Baldwin & Co Books (New Orleans, LA): café and bookstore
Reparations Club (Los Angelous, California)
Semicolon (Chicago, Illinois): non profit book hub and bookstore!
Da Book Joint (Chicago, Illinois)
Bookstagrammers and Bloggers to follow
These bloggers and bookstagrammers have the best vibes, reviews, annotations, and book recommendations. They are my go-to’s for a good book rec!
@pleasuresofthetext ; also on booktube!
Authors
@interestedinblackbooks on Bookstagram shares her favorite Black women writers.
@verynicebook shares books to read written by Black authors.
Bryan Washington; author of Memorial and Lot.
Tembe Denton-Hurst; debut author of Homebodies.
Toni Morrison; beloved author of classics: The Bluest Eye, Sula, Beloved, and much more.
Chantel V Johnson; author of Post-Traumatic and Peach Pit.
Mimi Grace; Black romance author. Writes mainly Black love (Black women x Black man). Author of What A Match and her latest release Along for the Ride.
Roxane Gay; author of Bad Feminism, Hunger, etc
Bell Hooks; mainly a nonfiction author, author of All About Love.
There is so many more. If you want more Black book recs, authors, etc browse through my goodreads!
Thank you for mentioning me! :) I shared your piece before even realizing haha! I’m so happy you’re enjoying and I love your work!