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| Vaughn's Bookstore after the 1967 Rebellion (Bentley Historical Society) | |
The building once home to Vaughn's Bookstore, a Black bookstore in Detroit, Mich., that "served as a center for Black culture and played a meaningful role in the Civil Rights movement in the city of Detroit," will be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, Patch.com reported. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement on Monday.
The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office has received $15,000 to nominate Vaughn's Bookstore. Founded in the early 1960s by Edward Vaughn, it was the city's first Black-owned bookstore. Vaughn's remained in operation on Detroit's Dexter Avenue until the 1970s. Ed Vaughn was active in the civil rights movement and went on to serve several terms in the Michigan State House of Representatives.
Mark A. Rodman, Michigan's State Historic Preservation Officer, said: "As the first Black-owned bookstore in Detroit and a hub of African-American journalism and conversation, Vaughn's Bookstore played a key role in the tumultuous Civil Rihts Movement of the 1960s. An important priority of the National Register program is to document those sites associated with significant events that have contributed to broad patterns of our history. We look forward to nominating the property to the National Register as the first step toward its reuse."