While big-box retailers and online giants make book-buying convenient, independent bookstores, especially Black-owned ones, offer something far more meaningful: a commitment to culture, diversity, and the power of storytelling.

Black-owned bookstores are more than just places to buy books. They are cultural hubs, safe spaces, and community centers that uplift marginalized voices, preserve history, and cultivate the next generation of readers and thinkers. When we support them, we’re not just buying books; we’re sustaining businesses that nurture creativity, amplify underrepresented voices, and strengthen our communities.

In an era where indie bookstores constantly fight for survival, choosing to spend our dollars at Black-owned and independent bookstores is a radical act of support. Whether shopping in person or online, making a conscious decision to support these bookstores helps ensure their longevity. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of Black-owned bookstores across the United States. Buy from them when you can. It matters.

Note: we tried to make this as comprehensive as possible but we probably missed some stores that fall in this category. If you’re a Black bookstore owner and you’d like to be included here, email us at books at aweluv dot com to be included.

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Online Only | Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | Washington D.C | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming 

Black-Owned Bookstores by State

Online Only

• Ashay By The Bay
• African American Literature Book Club
• Blacklit
• Kizzy’s Books & More
• Afrostory
• Alredered
• Asè Book Boutique
• Balanced Books
• Be Bomb Book Club
• Black Love Boutique
• Book Mecca
• Brown Babies Books
• Brownsugar Bookstore
• Cafe Noir
• Cindelle’s Bookstore
• Crowne Books
• Eclectuals
• Every Day is Juneteenth
• Fictitious Bookshelf
• Friday Night Library
• Grand Gesture Books
• Grayson Bookstore
• I Like Being Me Books
• Inspirit
• Jennitivity Bookshop
• Jupiter Society Books
• Kaybee’s Bookshelf
• Keep the Light On Bookstore
• Kindred Bookshop
• Knowledge Lounge Books
• Livres
• Lovebound Pages
• Loving Me Books
• McKinzy Books
• Miss Read Books
• My Reading Room Bookstore
• Naja’s Little Bookshop
• Noir Books
• On the Periphery Bookstore
• Onyx Oasis Bookstore
• Our Watts

Alabama (AL)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Alaska (AK)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Arizona (AZ)

• Grassrootz Bookstore & Juice Bar – Phoenix, AZ
• Wise Acre – Goodyear, AZ

Arkansas (AR)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

California (CA)

• Chukaruka – Fontana, CA
• Get Lit Books & Things – Moreno Valley, CA
• Loving Me Books – Oakland, CA
• Malik Books – Los Angeles, CA
• Marcus Books – Oakland, CA
• Mija Books – Lakewood, CA
• Moments Co-op – Oakland, CA
• Multicultural Children’s Bookstore – Richmond, CA
• Octavia’s Bookshelf – Pasadena, CA
• Reparations Club – Los Angeles, CA
• Salt Eaters Bookshop – Inglewood, CA
• Underground Books – Sacramento, CA
• Zahra’s Books and Things – Inglewood, CA

Colorado (CO)

• Matter – Denver, CO
• Tattered Cover – Denver, CO

Connecticut (CT)

• Bingham’s Books & Culture – Hamden, CT
• Kindred Thoughts Books – Bridgeport, CT
• Obodo Serendipity Books – Stratford, CT
• Reader’s Block – Stratford, CT
• The Key Bookstore – Hartford, CT

Delaware (DE)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

District of Columbia (DC)

• Loyalty Bookstore – Washington, DC
• Mahogany Books – Washington, DC
• Sankofa Video Books & Cafe – Washington, DC

Florida (FL)

• Cafe Resistance – Jacksonville, FL
• Cultured Books – St. Petersburg, FL
• Eden Books – Newberry, FL
• Erudite Encounters – Pembroke Pines, FL
• Jay’s House – Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Pyramid Books – Boynton Beach, FL

Georgia (GA)

• 44th and 3rd Bookseller – Atlanta, GA
• A Small Place Bookshop – Avondale Estates, GA
• All Things Inspiration Giftique – Mableton, GA
• Brave + Kind Bookshop – Decatur, GA
• For Keeps Books – Atlanta, GA
• Good Books – Atlanta, GA
• House of Pages – Peachtree Corners, GA
• Listening Tree Books – Decatur, GA
• Medu Bookstore – Atlanta, GA
• Nubian Bookstore – Morrow, GA
• Onyx Bookstore Cafe – Covington, GA
• Rejoice Christian Books – Snellville, GA

Hawaii (HI)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Idaho (ID)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Illinois (IL)

• Afriware Books – Maywood, IL
• Bookish Chicago – Chicago, IL
• Burst into Books – Chicago, IL
• Cafe Noir Bookshop – Rock Island, IL
• Call & Response Books – Chicago, IL
• Da Book Joint – Chicago, IL
• Page 1 Books – Evanston, IL
• Semicolon Bookstore – Chicago, IL
• The Last Chapter Book Shop – Chicago, IL

Indiana (IN)

• Beyond Barcodes Bookstore – Kokomo, IN
• Black Worldschooled – Indianapolis, IN
• Brain Lair Books – South Bend, IN
• Ink Drinkers Anonymous – Muncie, IN
• Kherw Institute – Indianapolis, IN
• Loudmouth Books – Indianapolis, IN
• Ujamaa Community Bookstore – Indianapolis, IN

Iowa (IA)

• The Soul Book Nook – Waterloo, IA

Kansas (KS)

• Left on Read – Wichita, KS

Kentucky (KY)

• Conquest Books – Ashland, KY

Louisiana (LA)

• Baton Rouge Books – Baton Rouge, LA
• Community Book Center – New Orleans, LA

Maine (ME)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Maryland (MD)

• Baltimore Read Aloud – Baltimore, MD
• Everyone’s Place – Baltimore, MD
• Red Emma’s Bookstore – Baltimore, MD
• Urban Reads – Baltimore, MD

Massachusetts (MA)

• Footprints Cafe – New Bedford, MA
• Frugal Bookstore – Roxbury, MA
• Olive Tree Books-n-Voices – Springfield, MA
• Susie’s Stories Rockport – Rockport, MA

Michigan (MI)

• Black Ethos – Detroit, MI
• Black Stone Bookstore & Cultural Center – Ypsilanti, MI
• Booksweet – Ann Arbor, MI
• Comma Bookstore & Social Hub – Flint, MI
• Detroit Book City – Southfield, MI
• God’s World Superstore – Detroit, MI
• Owosso Books & Beans – Owosso, MI
• Socialight Society – Lansing, MI
• Source Booksellers – Detroit, MI
• The Resistance – Lansing, MI
• We Are Lit – Grand Rapids, MI

Minnesota (MN)

• Babycake’s Book Stack – St. Paul, MN
• Black Garnet Books – St. Paul, MN
• Planting People Growing Justice – St. Paul, MN

Mississippi (MS)

• Wow Book and Toy – Gulfport, MS

Missouri (MO)

• Aya Coffee + Books – Kansas City, MO
• BLK + BRWN Bookstore – Kansas City, MO
• Bliss Books and Wine – Kansas City, MO
• Eyeseeme African American Children’s Bookstore – University City, MO
• Little Readers – St. Louis, MO
• The Noir Bookshop – St. Louis, MO

Montana (MT)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Nebraska (NE)

• Center 518 Lost Arts & Books – Omaha, NE

Nevada (NV)

• NAACP Authors Pavilion Bookstore – Las Vegas, NV
• The Analog Dope Store – Las Vegas, NV

New Hampshire (NH)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

New Jersey (NJ)

• Books & Stuff – Newark, NJ
• Source of Knowledge Bookstore – Newark, NJ
• The Little Boho Bookshop – Bayonne, NJ
• The Pouring Pages – Jersey City, NJ
• Watchung Booksellers – Montclair, NJ

New Mexico (NM)

• Prana Blessings – Santa Fe, NM

New York (NY)

• Archivist Books – Rochester, NY
• Bluestockings Cooperative – New York, NY
• Bronx Bound Books – Bronx, NY
• Cafe Con Libros – Brooklyn, NY
• Grandma’s Place – New York, NY
• Kulture Cafe – Harriman, NY
• Liz’s Book Bar – Brooklyn, NY
• Miranda Writes Bookstore – Bronx, NY
• Noire Reading Room – Rochester, NY
• Revolution Books – Harlem, NY
• Sadies Books & Beverages – Middletown, NY
• Sisters Uptown – New York, NY
• Taylor & Co. Books – Brooklyn, NY
• The Bronx Is Reading – Bronx, NY
• The Lit Bar – Bronx, NY
• Zawadi Books – Buffalo, NY

North Carolina (NC)

• Fulfillity Books & More – Hope Mills, NC
• Helping Kids Rise – Columbia, SC
• Liberation Station Bookstore – Durham, NC
• Loving Me Books – Charlotte, NC
• Noir Collective AVL – Asheville, NC
• Red Rice Books – Charlotte, NC
• Refinery Books – Durham, NC
• Rofhiwa Bookcafé – Durham, NC
• Shelves Bookstore – Charlotte, NC
• Sweet Candy Books – Durham, NC
• The Roasted Booksery – Wilmington, NC

North Dakota (ND)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Ohio (OH)

• Elizabeth’s Bookshop & Writing Centre – Akron, OH
• Serenity Book Shop – Columbus, OH
• The Book Butterfly – Cleveland, OH
• The Reading Room Cle – Garfield Heights, OH
• Thirdspace Reading Room – Cleveland, OH

Oklahoma (OK)

• Fulton Street Books & Coffee – Tulsa, OK
• Mocha Books – Tulsa, OK

Oregon (OR)

• Third Eye Books – Portland, OR

Pennsylvania (PA)

• Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse – Philadelphia, PA
• Hakim’s Bookstore & Gift Shop – Philadelphia, PA
• Harriett’s Books – Philadelphia, PA
• Heart & Soul Books – Harrisburg, PA
• Multiverse – Philadelphia, PA
• Read Rose Books – Lancaster, PA
• The Print Factory – Bellefonte, PA
• The Tiny Bookstore – Pittsburgh, PA
• Uncle Bobbie’s Books – Philadelphia, PA

Rhode Island (RI)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

South Carolina (SC)

• Beyond This February – Spartanburg, SC
• Itinerant Literate Books – North Charleston, SC
• Turning Page Bookshop – Goose Creek, SC

South Dakota (SD)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Tennessee (TN)

• Alkebu-Lan Images – Nashville, TN
• Bard’s Towne Books & Bourbon – Nashville, TN
• Bo Society & Books – Clarksville, TN
• The Bottom Knox – Knoxville, TN

Texas (TX)

• Black Pearl Books – Austin, TX
• Class Bookstore – Houston, TX
• Enda’s Booktique – Duncanville, TX
• Kindred Stories – Houston, TX
• Lit Java – Pearland, TX
• Pan-African Connection – Dallas, TX
• Soa Co. Books – Houston, TX
• Socialite Bookshop – Houston, TX
• The Dock Bookshop – Fort Worth, TX

Utah (UT)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Vermont (VT)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores there)

Virginia (VA)

• Books and Crannies – Martinsville, VA
• Nati’s House – Virginia Beach, VA
• Paperbacks Ink – Newport News, VA
• Resist Booksellers – Petersburg, VA

Washington (WA)

• Estelita’s Library – Seattle, WA
• Loving Room: Diaspora Books + Salon – Seattle, WA

West Virginia (WV)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores)

Wisconsin (WI)

• Niche Book Bar – Milwaukee, WI

Wyoming (WY)

(Couldn’t find Black-owned bookstores)

Sooo yeah, I hope you patronize these stores, I hope authors partner with them and give them love!