BLK + BRWN Bookstore Celebrates 4 Years with Juneteenth Block Party
Local bookstore BLK + BRWN hosted their annual Juneteenth Block Party to commemorate the bookstore turning four years old. The post BLK + BRWN Bookstore Celebrates 4 Years with Juneteenth Block Party appeared first on The Kansas City Defender.
BlackNewsPortal
The celebration began at noon in BLK + BRWN’s parking lot on 39th Street. Despite the scorching heat and strong winds, hundreds of attendees showed up to support The Local Book Pusher, Cori Smith. Over 20 vendors filled up the lot space at 104 1/2 W 39th St., creating a vibrant marketplace of food, music, and community.
The block party included a live DJ,, games, and local art. People from varying backgrounds came together to celebrate with BLK + BRWN and other local businesses, including AIMWell Yoga, Sage Sol Ceramics, Moonlit Juicery, and EvalineEsthetics. Sponsors included BlaqOut and Andrews McMeel Publishing. Food vendor Sparker Kitchen grilled Philly cheesesteaks while Kinship Cafe served up the chai lattes.
In 2021, Cori Smith opened BLK + BRWN. Smith, who grew up in Wyandotte, Kansas and graduated from Clark Atlanta, saw a gap in the local literary scene.
“There are simply not enough spaces for Black and Brown folks to call our own, and be celebrated in the stories that center our experiences,” Smith detailed on the bookstore’s website.
That gap was all the inspiration Smith needed to open BLK + BRWN on Juneteenth 2021.
Running an indie bookstore hasn’t been easy and as Black indie bookstore owner, it is that more challenging.
“I’ve experienced racial attacks in the earlier years,” Smith recalls.
In 2022, BLK + BRWN was a victim of a cyber attack that ultimately destroyed their website. Currently, conservatives and right-wingers are working overtime to censor book titles that feature the voices of Black and queer authors.
“It is already a deep intention to source titles that are appropriately authored,” she explained.
Over the years, Smith has witnessed the opening and closing of several Indie bookstores. The lack of funding and online merchant conglomerates like Amazon price out these smaller businesses.
“The work we do is very specific and there are very few guides to do this.”
Despite limited guidance, Smith continues to expand outside of small spaces, deepening her community involvement and recognizing the impact of education and activism.
“There are so many ways that literature and safe spaces have proven to be necessary for continuous existence.”
Four years later, and The Local Pusher is still here, platforming Black stories, harboring safe spaces for marginalized communities, and showing that books can be both refuge and resistance.
“We are art. Our stories and lives are art. Our existence is a radical disruption to a society and system that believes we don’t deserve.”Cori Smith, The Local Book Pusher
The post BLK + BRWN Bookstore Celebrates 4 Years with Juneteenth Block Party appeared first on The Kansas City Defender.
