Afrikanah Book Club was founded in 2018 in Houston, Texas. Since its inception, the club has grown tremendously. It has not only expanded to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but has also been a virtual book club since 2019. The club has membership from Oakland, California to Queens, New York.
To facilitate a space where young black women can gather socially and grow intellectually through the exploration of literature produced by black women and literary works with strong black female characters and subject matters.
Our Why
-There a currently very few Black-owned bookstores. An estimated 6% of all indie bookstores in this country are owned by African Americans. When we don't own our own stores, we don't control our own narrative.
-There are even fewer owned by Black women.
-There are currently no bookstores in the Fifth Ward community, Black-owned or otherwise.
Our Building
Our building is non-traditional. It will be an eco-friendly building, a renovated used shipping container. It has been designed by an African American architectural lead. We are aiming to locate the building in the Fifth Ward neighborhood.
Our Store
Our bookstore will house an array of books of different genres, from fiction to children's books. Like the mission of our club, our store will exclusively carry books written by Black women authors from around the world. It will also highlight Black-owned publishing companies, local authors, and stories centered around the experiences of members of the African Diaspora.
Ultimately, it will be a space of community, activated not just through book sales, but through activities and programming for all ages, including our signature book club.
Your funds will go directly to the following costs:
-Architectural and Engineering
-Construction and Design
-Permits and Administrative
-Inventory
-Programming
Join us in changing the 6%! Donate today and share our story with everyone you know!
Thank you in advance for investing in our dream, in our community, and in our narratives!