Turning pages, building community: Inside Bed-Stuy's Black women-owned bookstore crawl
Across New York City, a growing network of Black women-owned bookstores is making sure those stories continue to be told, and shared, through the NYC Black-Owned Women Bookstore Crawl.
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From romance novels to self-help guides, each book on the shelf carries its own blend of knowledge, culture, and history.
Across New York City, a growing network of Black women-owned bookstores is making sure those stories continue to be told, and shared, through the NYC Black-Owned Women Bookstore Crawl.
At the heart of the initiative is Tiffany Dockery, founder of Gladys Books & Wine, who saw an opportunity to spotlight what she describes as a literary renaissance. “It seemed like a great opportunity to showcase what I believe is a renaissance of Black women-owned bookstores in the city,” Dockery said. “There’s no better way to celebrate Women’s History than by celebrating the women making history today.”
Inside Gladys Books & Wine, shelves lined with works by and about Black women sit alongside carefully curated displays and photos honoring trailblazers of the past and present. The space reflects the mission behind the crawl: to celebrate identity, amplify voices, and build community.
Co-created with Darlene Okpo of Uh-Doh-Nay Bookshop, the crawl brings together a collective of bookstore owners committed to more than just selling books. It’s about creating welcoming, safe spaces where people can gather, learn, and feel seen.
Gabrielle Davenport, co-founder of BEM | Books & More, says the collaboration is just as important as the customer experience. “This was another opportunity to band together with Black women who are committed to creating warm, welcoming, and safe spaces for our community, and getting more people reading,” Davenport said.
With 11 bookstores across the city already participating, the crawl is designed to encourage exploration - not competition. For Davenport, success isn’t just measured in foot traffic, but in connection. “By going to one bookstore, they’re more likely to stop in another when they walk past,” she said. “Any way we can encourage that kind of cross-pollination is a success for all of us.”
Participants can visit each location and collect stamps along the way, turning the experience into an interactive journey through the city’s literary landscape. Each stop offers something unique, from curated selections to community-driven events.
And there’s an added incentive to keep going. “Each stamp is your passport into a new world,” Dockery said. “And if you get enough stamps, you can also get discounts on exclusive merchandise and in-store purchases.”
More than just a bookstore tour, the NYC Black-Owned Women Bookstore Crawl is a celebration of culture, entrepreneurship, and the enduring power of storytelling, one page, and one stop, at a time.
