Black-Owned: Book Launch Party with Char Adams

Join us for an extraordinary evening with Char Adams, former reporter for NBC News and People, as she celebrates the release of her debut book, Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore.

This exclusive event honors the living legacy of Black-owned bookstores, spaces that have been at the center of organizing, culture, and resistance.

About the Book

In Black-Owned, journalist Char Adams writes a deeply compelling and rigorously reported history of Black political movements told through the lens of Black-owned bookstores, which have long served as hubs for activism, education, and joy.

Packed with stories of activism, espionage, violence, and perseverance, Black-Owned begins with the first Black-owned bookstore, opened by an abolitionist in 1834, and follows its influence through the twentieth century when civil rights and Black Power activists launched a nationwide bookstore boom. Malcolm X gave speeches in front of Harlem’s National Memorial African Book Store, while Langston Hughes and Eartha Kitt held autograph parties and Maya Angelou became the face of National Black Bookstore Week.

Today, a new generation continues that radical tradition — from Noname’s Radical Hood Library to the many stores that made national headlines amid the Black Lives Matter era. As Adams makes clear, in a time of increasing repression, Black bookstores are needed now more than ever.

Full of vibrant characters and written with cinematic flair, Black-Owned is an enlightening story of community, resistance, and joy.

The Conversation

Following the reading and signing, join us for a powerful panel discussion featuring Char Adams, Emma Rodgers (co-founder of Black Images Book Bazaar), and Nia-Tayler Clark (founder of BLACKLIT). Together, they’ll explore the past, present, and future of Black bookstores ...and their enduring role as spaces that have fueled movements, nurtured artists, and shaped culture.

Registration

Reserve your spot today for this can’t-miss evening celebrating Black stories, Black spaces, and Black resistance, right here in Dallas–Fort Worth, where Char now calls home.

VIP Early Access: 6:30 PM
General Admission Entry: 7:00 PM
Discussion Begins: 7:30 PM
📍 2330 Langford St, Dallas, TX 75208

VIP Includes:

A signed copy of Black-Owned
An exclusive tote bag
Light refreshments
Early entry and priority seating

General Admission Includes:

Access to the author discussion, panel, and signing

Evening Highlights

• Live author conversation & audience Q&A
• Book signing with Char Adams
• Light bites, mocktails, & music
• Local Black-owned vendors

About the Author

Char Adams is a journalist and author whose writing on race and identity has appeared in The New York Times, The New Republic, Oprah Daily, Vice, Teen Vogue, and Bustle. A proud Philadelphia native, she now resides in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.