Liberation Station Bookstore holds grand opening in downtown Raleigh
Liberation Station Bookstore, North Carolina's first Black-owned children's bookstore, opens Saturday.
The colorful, intimate space is on the second floor of the Efird's building at 208 Fayetteville St. Enter on the Fayetteville Street side, where you see signs for Raleigh's Original Selfie Museum.
Owner Victoria 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.
Scott-Miller, a mother of two boys, now 7 and 12, loves that her shop will be anchored by other Black-owned businesses, like the paint n' sip studio right next door.
"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."
Grand opening festivities begin Saturday at 11 a.m. and stretch throughout Monday, which is Juneteenth, a federal holiday.
Saturday, June 17
11 to 11:30 a.m.: Ribbon cutting and welcome with Juneteenth affirmations read by children's book author Julia Mallory and opera performances by North Carolina Opera bass-baritone Markel Williams. The first 65 guests will receive free copies of 5 Scott-Miller's own book, "The Museum Lives in Me."
11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Book signing with 10 notable children's book authors and illustrators, including the authors of bestselling books.
Sunday, June 18
12 p.m. to 1 p.m.: Raleigh historian Carmen Cauthen will be signing her book, "Historic Black Raleigh Neighborhoods."
1-2:30 p.m.: Children and their parents can put on white gloves to see and interact with historical documents, including handwritten letters between Frederick Douglass and a Baltimore bookstore owner as well as first edition signed copies of banned books by such authors as James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Langston Hughes, Zora Neal Hurston and Bell Hooks. Customers can sign up for time slots at liberationstationbookstore.com.
3 to 4 p.m.: American Sign Language Storytime
Monday, June 19
11 a.m. to noon: Liberation Walk from the N.C. State Capitol to the bookstore with a group of Black equestrians.
Noon to 1 p.m.: A book signing by Caitlin Gooch aka The Black Cowgirl and children's book author.
In an April interview with WRAL News, anticipating the grand opening brought 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."
