Black Bookstore Day is an opportunity to recognize the history, cultural significance, and continued impact of Black-owned bookstores while supporting the businesses and people carrying that work forward today. The inaugural celebration takes place Saturday, August 29, 2026, and there are plenty of ways to participate. Whether you’re a reader, bookstore, business, organization, author, publisher, or simply someone who wants to show support, there’s a place for you in the cele

Black bookstores in the United States have a history stretching back nearly two centuries, with deep connections to literacy, access, culture, community, activism, and Black freedom. For this Black Bookstores Through the Years history break, we’re going back to 1834 and the work of David Ruggles, an abolitionist, journalist, activist, and entrepreneur recognized as the first known Black bookstore owner in the United States. David Ruggles and the First Known Black Bookstore In