Streamlined Black Bookstore

APOOO recently posted an email to our Yahoo Group - how many Black Bookstores have fallen in the past year, and how many rose in their stead. It was depressing! I thought Karibu was the only chain to collapse...and let me tell you when Karibu went down the DMV (affectionate term for DC/MD/VA) was devastated. And, as many of you know, they did NOT fall apart for lack of support or business. Nope, many of us were making it our business to visit them on a regular basis, despite the major bookstores. Remember - this is the DMV and I live in Prince Georges County, where the wealthiest enclave of African American's in the country live. And there were at least three stores in PG that I can think of off the top of my head - Bowie, Forestville and PG Plaza. And the PG Plaza stores was expanding to contain a coffee shop and lounge area. Karibu had black support, their demise was internal.

So Chocolate City - the real one, by definition - has been left black storeless (correct me if I am wrong, cuz I would love to find a new black store home) until recently. Asante Books opened in Forestville Mall, Forestville, MD, which I try to visit a couple of times a month. And, in my desperate need to touch base with some semblance of what Karibu used to be, I visited Baltimore this weekend to tap into Urban Knowledge bookstores up there. It is rumored that they may be expanding to the DMV.

First of all, the "new black bookstore" doesn't really have a heritage/deep/blackness vibe. Nope - now its hardwood floors, highly polished shelves in new cherry wood. And that's it. Four walls, many shelves. In and out. It's more cost efficient, I am sure. It requires you change your expectation of the store and what purpose it serves. Karibu was a culture submersion for my children - (as if they need more blackness living in Mitchellville) but still, the books were a rich reflection of the cross section of a peoples. The clerk read books to the children on Saturday mornings - mine and several other sitting around listening. Want to find that rare chronicle of African American farmers, go to Karibu. Want the newest in erotica - from a self pub - go to Karibu. Want some romance or street lit from a small up and coming pub - go to Karibu.

That's not what the stores are now. And the dominating wall in Urban Knowledge is street lit. From the beginning of the store to the end. Think of a narrow square store - something like a Subway but not as deep or wide. So you can see the entire store at a glance. The far wall is jammed pack with every street lit cover imaginable. So much so that its hard to tell them apart. After a while all the titles just began to blend into each...one fly sister in fur, next to another naked, next to some sisters standing together looking seductive. Over and over again, ya'll. Over and over again. Other titles are in there too , some romance and regular fiction sprinkled through...but you have to search to find them around the glossier "bling" covers.

My husband said, "since when did the bookstore turn into a collection of club promos? This is ridiculous." I chuckled at first. Then, it didn't seem so funny. But they have to stock what will sell, right?

Urban has other books - a very small nonfiction/historical section on another wall, erotica hidden in the middle floating shelves - to their benefit they are very careful about keeping the erotica separate - and the teen/children's shelves by the register. And when I did a book signing there last month, the clerk kept the teens away from both the erotic and street lit titles that they had no business touching. She pointed them to the teen section - pointing out that there is teen street lit. Who knew? And I have to say that Urban has the best black teen selection I have ever seen in any bookstore (including the chains) - HANDS DOWN.

The children's fiction was disappointing, the offering was sparse. Did that stop my little Miss Queen 1 and 2 from scooping the few books and setting themselves right up at the only table in the store - which I know for a fact is for author signings - and begin reading? Nope. And the clerk didn't mind, but then again, he didn't even bother to look up when we entered. And the store was empty. On a Saturday at 2pm. In the mall.

I set about looking for Mocha Chocolate - trying to ensure good product placement, or get to moving books to better visibility, since the clerk wasn't paying enough attention to care. It took me a moment to find, most of the erotica is buried on the floating shelves in the middle. He eventually pointed them out to me - but then I was irritated because I had broken him out of his trance and couldn't move the books at my leisure.

What's the point of this post? Black literature has changed. Black clientele has changed. The economy sucks. Buyers are hitting Amazon with new fervor. Desire of Black buyers is streamlined with the majority calling for one genre. While I was there folks weren't looking for a black mecca of culture, they simply wanted Dutch 3, by Dutch or Terri Woods, depending on where that mess stands; In My Hood II, by Endy; Girls from Da Hood 2,3,4,5,6, etc.; Still Wifey, by Kiki Swinson. Wahida Clark. J. Tremble. Over and over and over again I listened to the BMore audience ask for the same books, wanting to discuss the same plots. (I am sure different regions have different demands-in DC Mocha Chocolate flew off the shelves like free candy)

But Black bookstores are in the awful position of trying to maintain some integrity and sell books. Trying to keep overhead low, while having to sell books at a higher price. And a compromise is being made for survival - can you blame them - leading to a new, streamlined store - that feels less and less like Black literary home.