280+ Black-Owned Bookstores in the U.S. and Worldwide

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If you’re looking to support Black-owned businesses in your city, online, or overseas, you’ve come to the right place.

This is the most comprehensive list of Black-owned bookshops in the U.S. and around the world. And I stumble upon new ones every day, so some are certainly missing. Whether you’re looking for a Black-owned bookstore to enjoy in town, online, or on vacation, this aggregated list should give you some options.

List of Black-Owned Bookstores by Region

Click below to go directly to a specific section.

Finding and Verifying Independent Black Bookstores

Criteria I kept in mind while compiling this list: Is it Black-owned? Does it sell books? Is it still open?

The “still open” part was the main challenge in aggregating a list like this.

Most of these businesses are very local; since the community knows they’re there, their digital presence might not be a priority. Some don’t have updated websites or social media. Others have physically closed but are active online. You get the picture. Google helped a bit, but it was often wrong, saying that places were permanently closed that had reopened or evolved (or vice versa). As a last resort, I would check Google Reviews to try to get an idea of whether customers had visited in the past few months.

If you know of any Black-owned bookstores that are missing from this list, feel free to send an email to hello at booksforblackkids.com or tag @booksforblackkids on social media.

What Was Not Included in This List of Black-Owned Bookshops

  • Independent publishers or websites that only promoted one author. The main exception to this was Afrocentric independent publishers outside of the United States.
  • Online bookstores whose only internet presence was Bookshop.org. Those that had a social media account or separate website were added.
  • Businesses that no longer appeared to sell books.
  • Bookstores that no longer appeared to be open.
  • With one notable exception (which includes a disclaimer), businesses that were not founded by Black people.

Looking for books for children, young adults, parents, or educators with Black protagonists and Black authors? Check out the Books for Black Kids book directory! Over 2,400 listings and counting.

Black-Owned Bookstores in the United States

There are about 200 independent Black bookstores in the United States. They’re separated into stores that are solely online and those that operate at least somewhat locally, either through having their own storefront, throwing local events, or hosting pop-ups or mobile bookstores.

Online-Only Bookstores

The bookstores on this list, to my knowledge, only operate virtually.

Stores that are based online that also hold local events, pop-ups, etc. are listed under their respective states. Same goes for bookshops that are “temporarily exclusively online” during a period of transition, either due to relocation, finances, harassment, or other factors.

U.S. Black-Owned Bookstores by State

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

Washington

Washington, DC Area

Wisconsin

Black-Owned Bookstores Worldwide: North America, South America, Europe, Africa

As I speak English, Spanish, and French, countries with one of the above (or another Romance language) as an official language should have a relatively comprehensive list of stores. Countries with other languages may be lacking.

Similar to the U.S. list, several bookstores overseas have shut down or changed formats over the years. Unlike the U.S.-based list, I’ve included Afrocentric independent publishers here. As a note, the independent publishers were not included in the 280+ figure at the beginning of the article.

If you know of any missing Black-owned bookstores, feel free to send an email to hello at booksforblackkids.com or tag @booksforblackkids on social media.

Interested in books for children, young adults, parents, or educators with Black protagonists and Black authors…in multiple languages? Check out the Books for Black Kids book directory! 2,400 books and counting in over 20 language combinations.

Black-Owned Bookstores in North America

Bahamas

Bermuda

Canada

Cuba

Haiti

Jamaica

Martinique

Puerto Rico

Saint Lucia

Trinidad and Tobago

U.S. Virgin Islands

Black-Owned Bookstores in South America

Argentina

  • Malungo Libros: Traveling bookstore based in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Brazil

Colombia

  • Kutusoma: Independent publisher and literary association based in Bogotá, Colombia, with a presence in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama

Uruguay

Black-Owned Bookstores in Europe

Belgium

France

Germany

All of the following are initiatives by InterKontinental (Note: Founders are neither Black nor African):

Ireland

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

  • Livraria Lulendo: Online bookstore based in Lisbon, Portugal. Holds in-person events.

Spain

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Black-Owned Bookstores in Africa

Gambia

Ghana

Kenya

Nigeria

Senegal

South Africa

Interested in books for children, young adults, parents, or educators with Black protagonists and Black authors? Check out the Books for Black Kids book directory! It’s a work in progress with over 2,400 listings and counting.

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