photo by steed media service

The bookstore has long been a cornerstone in the community. While gigantic mega-chains like Borders and Barnes & Noble have sprung up all over the landscape, placing smaller stores in a pinch, Anika Sala, manager of the Shrine of the Black Madonna Culture Center and Bookstore, understands that there’s a niche for the art, history and culture that the center provides.

“The purpose of the bookstore is to keep the history and culture of black people alive. If our young people don’t know where we’ve been, it’s hard to chart the direction of where we’re going,” she says. “The purpose of history is to know what you did in the past so that you can do better in the future. If we [could] build pyramids and be kings and queens, then of course we can do more than sell drugs in our community.”

To keep this strong message alive, the Shrine and it’s bookstore are doing their part to ensure that the culture is preserved.

“Black bookstores are on the verge of being extinct, because we cannot compete with the big chains, the Internet and all of that,” she says. “If we don’t support black institutions, we’re not going to have any more. [The Shrine] is more than a bookstore — we’re a culture center. We’re trying to pass a legacy of greatness on so that we can excel.” –todd williams

For more info, please visit www.shrinebookstore.com.

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