There was a time when Black-owned bookstores were like a lodestone to the movement, particularly in the halcyon sixties. The spirit of those days is given a fresh summary in Katie Mitchell’s “Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores” (Clarkson Potter, 2025), with a foreword by Nikki Giovanni. I was asked to recount my long history with such stores, my “bookbeat,” and invariably Sister’s Uptown was profiled.
On Friday, July 25, Janifer Wilson and her daughter, Kori, will be hosting a fundraiser at the store, a vibrant cultural center, to help stave off a possible closing. For more than a quarter century, the store, located at 1942 Amsterdam Ave., has been unstinting in providing the community with a place to enjoy a wide array of books as well as discussions by authors and activists.
I have, on a number of occasions, not only hosted events there but sat in the audience to experience the wisdom of a coterie of renowned speakers. On one memorable appearance, I shared the podium with Cinque Brath with the publication of essays by his father, Elombe. It was an unforgettable moment, and I am sure that regulars at the bookstore will have a similar experience at this event, which will be from 6 to 10 pm. Bring your checkbooks and check out the variety of books, best sellers, and classics alike.
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