Share a quote from a book or poem that bears your bookstore’s soul.

“Books are a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are a reflection. Books change your mind.”- Toni Morrison

Why was your bookstore founded/what role does it play in the community?

Black Garnet Books was created by Saint Paul community member Dionne Sims during the Summer of 2020 in direct response to state violence, as well as the purposeful and unconscious exclusion of Black people from the literature community. The brick-and-mortar store opened its doors in 2022 to address racial inequality within the publishing and literary industries, both nationally and within the state of Minnesota. We continue this work through the leadership of Terresa Hardaway, PhD (who acquired the store in 2024) who remains unapologetic about the ways in which Black lives matter and how Blackness must be centered in movement work.

What makes your bookstore unique?

Minnesota only has 4 Black-owned bookstores, and we are one of them. We pride ourselves on being Black woman queer owned with the majority of our staff being queer, and we continue to center those stories on our shelves. We’ve curated our shelves to focus on literature by authors and illustrators of color, ensuring that any purchase made at our store directly supports the continued telling of our stories.