Please now more than ever, support Black Book Shops, Publishers and?Outlets.
Oh and stop buying from Amazon.
It’s not statistics that change the world, but people and their stories. Communicators and storytellers move hearts and minds in ways numbers cannot. I have seen so many people buying books on social media since the start of COVID-19 and even more so since the murder of George Floyd. I love that more people outside of my immediate family and social circle are educating themselves and their children on diversity, equity, inclusion and equality. Find out about the things we were not taught in school. We did not cover the complex interplay of individual attitudes, social values and institutional practices. I was oblivious to the actions of certain individuals and institutions until I left high school.
I experienced racism happening to my black stepmother (Mim as we called her instead of mum) when we went shopping for the first time. Apart from my dads best friend Arthur from Jamaica, my mid-nineties small seaside Scottish town was not ready for that amazing Mauritian woman that raised her boys in Brixton. There was not a large black community there at the time. The first time I heard someone being racist towards her - they shouted: "oh my god there's a darkie". She turned around quickly whilst shouting "OH MY GOD WHERE!" then after telling me to stay where I was, walked over calmly to the man and talked to him.
Mim talked to me for hours sometimes about the things she had faced, the achievements she should not have had to achieve. Becoming the first black legal secretary in her firm - then later successfully suing them for being racist. Raising 4 boys all by herself whilst working a full-time job. She also achieved the unthinkable, she managed to make my gran realise she was racist and prejudiced. Mim instilled in me the importance of educating yourself - it is not up to other people to do that for you. It is not up to black people to educate the rest of the world on racism. She was always clear to me and my brothers that we should always stand up for ourselves and each other. That it was the silence that’s deafening not the ignorant idiots that shout in the street. When people keep quiet that's what hurts the most.
Since then I have travelled more, self-educated, listened, screamed, listened, argued, had to ensure shocking debates about why certain things are racist. Listening to stupid comments like "why do they need a Black History month" and been trolled because of my South Asian partner. But I still want to be better, the real work comes in the form of educating yourself on the things you need to personally learn and unlearn to be a better advocate.
If you keep buying books from massive corporations like Amazon (that privilege it's own and boosts products in its search results) the selection you see will be biased. So for all those peeps unable do some google-fu and locate their local booksellers, here is a mini list of some - but please now more than ever, support these UK Black Book Shops, Publishers and Outlets.
LONDON
New Beacon Books 76 Stroud Green, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3EN www.newbeaconbooks.com (Specialists in African and Caribbean Literature since 1966)
Pepukayi Distribution Services: 58 Carew Road| Tottenham | N17 9BA | 0208 801 0205 https://pepukayisbooks.com/shop-now/
All Eyes on Egipt Bookstore 124a West Green Road, Tottenham, London, N15 5AA https://twitter.com/aeoe_tottenham
Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd St James House, 13 Kensington Square, London, W8 5HD https://www.adonis-abbey.com/
PIRANHA COMICS 246 High Street Bromley, London BR1 1PQ, Telephone: 0208 460 84860208
HERNE HILL BOOKS 289 Railton Road London, SE24 0LY Telephone: 0207 998 1673 https://twitter.com/HerneHillBooks
THE BIG GREEN BOOKSHOP Unit 1 Brampton Park Road, Wood Green, London N22 6BG, Telephone: 0208 881 6767 https://www.biggreenbookshop.com/
CALABASH of Culture 21 Sydenham Road, London SE26 5EX https://www.facebook.com/africancalabash
BIS Publications PO Box 14918 N17 8WJ 0845 226 4066 www.bispublications1.blogspot.co.uk/
7th Ward Ghettonomics Store Unit 12 Inshops 37 -43 South Mall Edmonton Green Shopping Precinct Edmonton London N9 0TT 079300262124
Pempamsie 102 Brixton Hill, Brixton, London, SW2, 1AH 0207 678 2555 www.pempamsie.com
Pempamsie 219 London Road, Mitcham, CR4 2JD 0208 089 7961 https://www.pempamsie.com
Books of Africa 16 Overhill Road, East Dulwich SE22 0PH 07931 876013 www.booksofafrica.com
DJED The New Shepherds Bush Market, UNIT L32- L34 Uxbridge Road, London W2 8LF
Jacaranda Books Arts & Music 27 Old Gloucester St, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 3AX www.jacarandabooksartmusic.co.uk
Little Drum Publishing https://littledrumpublishing.com
Tamarind Books Ltd 61 – 63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA www.tamarindbooks.co.uk
No Ordinary Bookshop www.noordinarybookshop.co.uk/ (The owner is amazing)
OUTSIDE LONDON
MyBookbasket Unit 9 Market Village, OneStop Shopping Centre, Walsall Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 1AA www.mybookbasket.com
The Afrikan People Shop 14 Radford Road Hyson Green Nottingham NG7 5FS 07952369112
African Books Collective PO Box 721 Oxford OX1 9EN UK TEL/FAX +44 (0) 1869 349110 www.africanbookscollective.com
Hansib Publications PO Box 226 Hertford Hertfordshire SG14 3WY 0208 523 0888 https://www.hansibpublications.com/
Peepaltree Press Publishers 17 Kings Avenue, Leeds, LS6, 1QS Telephone: 01132451703 www.peepaltreepress.com
Ayebia Clarke Literary Agency & Publishing Ltd 7 Syringa Walk Banbury Oxfordshire, OX16 1FR UK Tel: +44 (0)1295 709228 Fax: +44 (0)1295 267681 email: [email protected] www.ayebia.co.uk
SOAS Bookshop, Brunei Gallery Building, School of Oriental and African Studies, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. Telephone:+44 (0)20 7898 4470+44 (0)20 7898 4470 E-mail: [email protected]
https://www.soas.ac.uk/visitors/bookshop/
If for any reason you can not find what you are looking for - this is a list of about 100 books that are recommended. https://bookshop.org/lists/this-list-is-anti-racist