Where you buy your books matters! During this transformative time we are living in, remember that you have choices about where you spend your money, and choosing black-owned bookstores can make a difference. Your choices have an impact on what the economic environment looks like.  When you buy books, consider using your purchasing power to support alternatives to Amazon, for example. (It’s hard to break the Amazon addiction but trust me,  you’ll feel better for making the effort.) 

Here are two alternatives to try:

• Bookshop.org – a non-profit (that launched just before Covid-19 hit). Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores including those that might not have their own online presence. Shop at Bookshop.org, the bookstore that gives back a percentage of profits to independent bookstores, including black-owned bookstores. 
• Use your purchasing power to stand with Black America on Black Out Day, July 7, 2020. Buy a book from a black-owned bookstore. Here are two resources to help you find a black-owned bookstore near you – a map and list from Publishers Weekly.
  • MAP: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?hl=en&ll=43.66439610000003%2C-79.41076719999997&z=4&fbclid=IwAR00ABZHZF-Os4Pg1prBDuw1v1KMm91eO0GvTurooHFOUm8kaQwCKOg3UYc&mid=16UccPD2KZbgQaTN0xJcvG28-v6_GClSY
  • LIST: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/83495-black-owned-bookstores-to-support-now.html