Belle Books Boutique & More in Oklahoma City, Okla., has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help keep the bookstore in business, Fox25 reported.
Owner Courtney Strickland, who opened the bookstore and boutique in 2020, is looking to raise $10,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. Strickland told Fox25 that last year was a struggle, and while she has been applying for other sources of funding, nothing has materialized.
"So I've reached out to the community for help," she said, because "there are some passionate people out there like me that love bookstores, and... that want to see small businesses like mine succeed and so that I can continue to pour into the community."
In addition to carrying an all-ages selection of books by Black authors, Strickland sells clothes and other nonbook items. She also distributes free books to community members, and has so far given away roughly 600 books through a partnership with literacy and education nonprofit Youth First. Every child who enters the store receives a book, and going forward Strickland hopes to expand her offering of literacy and community programs.
On Sunday, April 7, Strickland will host a benefit concert to help raise funds for the bookstore. "There's a lot I would like to do, but I can't do it without the community's help."