Raleigh's first Black-owned children's bookstore raises $10,000

Black-owned children's bookstore Liberation Station has reached its $10,000 fundraising goal meant to support the opening of its first brick-and-mortar location in downtown Raleigh. Now they're hoping to double it.

Owner Victoria Scott-Miller is thrilled to announce, after years of pop-up events, Liberation Station Bookstore will get its own physical space at 208 Fayetteville St.

"I feel so incredibly blessed," said Scott-Miller, who founded Liberation Station with her husband, Duane Miller, in 2019. "It makes me feel so full because I never envisioned getting a brick-and-mortar."

Liberation Station's mission is to support Black literacy, legacy and liberation, offering high-quality children’s books written and illustrated by Black and underrepresented authors and illustrators.

Scott-Miller, a mother of two boys, now 7 and 12, loves that her shop will be anchored by other Black-owned businesses.

"Raleigh deserves this," said Scott-Miller, who said her own faith and support from the community made all the difference. "It just made me feel like we can do it too."

The anticipated opening date is the week of June 19, Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people.

The 364 sq. ft. store will be divided into four intentionally curated sections:

The Diaspora Wall: Books that follow the voyage of the Transatlantic Map, including rotating work from Sierra Leone, Angola, Brazil and The West Indies, to name a few.

Black childhood from birth to 18: This will have books written and illustrated by Black creators, some published by Black-owned or Black-led publishing houses, small press, independent, and local authors.

AP African American Studies: Stories by authors being removed from curriculums, such as “Go Tell it on the Mountain” by James Baldwin, “The Bluest Eye,” “Song of Solomon,” and “Beloved “by Toni Morrison, and many more.

"We're going to carry books that are being removed from curriculums ... and we're going to say, 'hey, this is accessible to you,'" Scott-Miller described.

The Anchor will introduce a small curation of adult titles lovingly paired with children’s titles.

Scott-Miller wants to ensure that all children can see themselves in the books they read by highlighting books that feature African-American characters. She said her family reads every book before it hits Liberation Station's shelves.

Emerson, 7, loves illustrated books, folklore and affirmation books that teach children reminders like, "I am smart, I am blessed, and I can do everything."

Her oldest son, Langston, will help curate a section of graphic novels by Black creators.

"That's what kids his age are reading," Scott-Miller said. "That's exciting that we get to search and seek and look for the things we know are going to be exciting for children to come into the bookstore and see."

Picturing Liberation Station Bookstore's opening day brings Scott-Miller to tears.

"We were the first Black-owned bookstore we ever set foot in," she said, estimating there are fewer than 155 Black-owned bookstores in the country."To know that we have carved out a space in the universe for our children to feel safe and to be able to be curious, to be joyful ... it's overwhelming to think about."

Scott-Miller's pop-up events and mobile bookstores have been featured at the Duke Gardens, Durham Hotel and the North Carolina Museum of Art, among other places. Liberation Station has been featured on “Good Morning America,” CNN, The Washington Post and Oprah Magazine.

The owners announced April 12 they met their fundraising goal through a crowdfunding campaign.

That event is scheduled for June 17. Liberation Station Bookstore will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday at 208 Fayetteville St., Suite 201, on the second floor.