The Black Reserve Bookstore, which first opened its doors in Lansdale in 2017, has grown into a thriving hub for Black culture and community, writes Emily Neil for the WHYY.
Owner Shaykh Anwar Muhammad started in a small space about a quarter the size of his current one. As his business grew, he relocated to a spacious, light-filled location on Main Street.
Today, the bookstore hosts a variety of community events, such as “Boys to Men” classes, conversations, movie nights, and children’s storytime, among many others.
Muhammad decided to start his business after noticing an absence of Black culture stores and outlets in and around Lansdale.
“The questions I used to ask were things like, ‘Where do people go to get Black cultural things, like anything from shea butter, Black soap to books written by Black authors to apparel, jewelry, anything?’” he said. “And they were telling me that I had to travel to Philadelphia.”
That prompted Muhammad, who now calls himself “a Black Panther of Lansdale,” to come up with a local space for members of the Black community to gather, learn, and support one another.
Read more about The Black Reserve Bookstore in the WHYY.
