A North Carolina family is celebrating writers of color with the Liberation Station pop-up bookstore.
Duane and Victoria Scott-Miller came up with the idea for Liberation Station after their son, Langston, started writing stories about young, Black boys like him.
"I want books to show us Black children the way we are -- beautiful, handsome, intelligent, and smart," he said.
Inspired by their son, the Millers set out to find as many stories celebrating young, Black boys as possible. After putting together their efforts, the family opened up Liberation Station.
"We spent more than two hours and ended up finding just five books that had the style and quality of the stories he wanted to write," Duane Miller said.
"When we noticed there wasn't space for him, we decided to make that space for him ourselves."
The newly formed pop-up bookstore strives to highlight books written by and about the African diaspora. The Millers find different community spaces such as boutiques and art galleries to host story-time hours and sell books.
"It's important for everyone to see themselves in every way because that will help them become better people and follow their dreams," Langston Miller said.
Over time, the bookstore has grown considerably. During its first year, Liberation Station earned $15,000. During a two week period in June 2020, the bookstore brought in $12,000.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the pop-up bookstore has not been able to function as it normally would. Despite these obstacles, the Millers are finding ways to succeed. Liberation Station has transformed into online marketplace with books of poetry, short stories and more. The Millers currently partner with the North Carolina Museum of Art to host virtual story times.
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