Black-owned bookstores in Chicago struggle after 2020 surge in support
The city of Chicago only has a handful of Black-owned bookstores, the Sun-Times found. This is unusual for a city that welcomed Black-owned bookstores earlier than many cities.
A long history
"Chicago has a really long history of Black booksellers that goes back at least to the 1940s," said Joshua Clark Davis, a historian at the University of Baltimore.
Nationally, the first "big wave" of Black-owned bookstores came in the 1960s and 1970s, Davis said, when they acted as community centers and became spaces for political activity.
"Black people who open bookstores do not only because they love books, but usually, there’s also been a political or social mission," said Davis, the author of "From Head Shops to Whole Foods," which partially examines Black-owned bookstores that emerged from protest movements of the ’60s and ’70s.
Popularity came in waves for these businesses, spiking in the 1970s, the 1990s during the rise of Black nationalism, then decreasing with the arrival of Amazon, e-books and audiobooks in the 2000s and 2010s.
"In the ’90s, Chicago had [around] 24 Black bookstores. Now, I’m the last one standing from that era," said Yoel Ahmechshadye, owner of Underground Bookstore in Calumet Heights since 1994.
The 2020 surge
Independent bookselling had hit a low point, Davis said, and was starting to come back around in 2020. Along with it, the death of George Floyd galvanized Black communities, leading to a reckoning with systemic racism.
This led to a boom in business for Black-owned bookstores, where demand for books on antiracism kept Chicago-area stores busy.
Soon, Semicolon and other Black-owned bookstores were featured in national stories detailing the demand for antiracism titles. Publications like The New York Times declared Black-owned bookstores "overwhelmed" with book sales.
Corporations, eager to prove their allyship, called in bulk orders for books like Ibram X. Kendi’s "How to Be an Antiracist." But it didn’t last long, owners said.
Decline in support
By 2025, Chicago’s Black bookstore scene, owners and analysts say, faces declining engagement, political shifts, and reduced white allyship. The initial wave of solidarity has largely receded, and with it, sales and support. This, combined with a post-COVID economic downturn and the popularity of online retailers, has left businesses navigating low-profit margins and wavering sales.
Struggling to stay afloat
Danielle Moore, owner of Semicolon Books, remembers the summer of 2020 vividly. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder that May, there was a noticeable surge in patrons at Moore’s bookstore that promotes Black writers and writers of color. As a Black-owned bookstore in Chicago, Semicolon saw excellent business the rest of that year. However, it was unexpectedly difficult for the bookstore to balance the intense emotions of shoppers, along with their own, Moore says.
"It was a rough moment because we were always working. We were dealing with our emotions of the moment, with the George Floyd situation, and during COVID with everything being shut down, and there’s nobody to emoting with."
Now, the bookstore is going through another rough spot. Moore announced in January that both locations of Semicolon Books would be closing this year. She later announced that due to lease obligations, the West Town location would remain open and fundraise to add a coffee shop.
The struggle is real
Courtney Woods, co-owner of Da Book Joint, said, "We’re not a ‘niche’ store. We carry every genre — just by Black authors. White bookstores aren’t called ‘niche’ for stocking 99% white stories."
But assumptions about what Black bookstores offer are often incorrect, said Bledsoe of Call and Response.
"People view anything with a Black person on the cover as a ‘struggle story.’ But our stories are human stories—romance, sci-fi, joy. They deserve the same shelf space as NYT bestsellers," she said. "This space is for communal exchange…not just reserved for Black readers."
Conclusion
In a city where Black-owned bookstores have a long history, the recent surge in support has given way to a decline in engagement. As owners struggle to stay afloat, they hope to find a way to balance the demands of running a business with the passion and purpose that drove them to open their stores in the first place.
FAQs
Q: What is the current state of Black-owned bookstores in Chicago?
A: The city of Chicago has a handful of Black-owned bookstores, with a decline in engagement and support since the 2020 surge.
Q: What are the challenges Black-owned bookstores face?
A: Black-owned bookstores face declining engagement, political shifts, and reduced white allyship, making it difficult to stay afloat.
Q: What is the future of Black-owned bookstores in Chicago?
A: The future of Black-owned bookstores in Chicago remains uncertain, with owners working to find a balance between running a business and maintaining their passion and purpose.
