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| Yusef Harris | |
Yusef Harris, founder of Alkebu-Lan Images, a cornerstone of the North Nashville, Tenn., community for more than 35 years, has died. He was 66. Nashville Scene reported that Harris opened Alkebu-Lan in 1986 while pursuing his doctorate in psychology at Vanderbilt University and teaching part time at Tennessee State University. When the Jefferson St. property was put up for sale, he made a down payment with a loan from Metro Development and Housing Agency. The shop became a cultural mecca, selling books, art, apparel and other goods that reflect and celebrate African culture.
"It's hard to meet a Black person who grew up in Nashville who hasn't felt Harris' impact," Nashville Scene wrote. He mentored and advised hundreds of Black business owners, his son and business partner Jordan Harris said. In December 2020, the father-son duo purchased a building on Buchanan Street and expanded Alkebu-Lan. "If you are going to be brick-and-mortar, you have to be able to control your land," Yusef Harris had said.
In a tweet, TSU professor and North Nashville historian Dr. Learotha Williams called Alkebu-Lan North Nashville's "House of Common Sense and Home of Proper Propaganda," referencing the famed Harlem bookshop the African National Memorial Bookstore.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper tweeted: "I join Nashville in remembering the life of Yusef Harris. Yusef earned his Ph.D. at @VanderbiltU and taught at @TSUedu. He was a pillar in our community. His bookstore, Alkebu-Lan Images on Jefferson St., has been a staple for more than 35 years."
Ashford Hughes said his friend always lifted up his community: "He knew the importance of [Jefferson Street], our HBCUs, the three that are on this corridor and ABC off West Trinity and the importance of making sure the city paid homage for the way that we spend money and the way that we move to make sure HBCUs were put in a prominent light. He was a part of that movement and that ideology in the city as well."
Many people came to Alkebu-Lan Images on Tuesday to pay tribute. Jordan Harris said he would keep his father's legacy alive, adding: "He was always comfortable in his skin. He was always happy to help and to be around and to be involved in and be out there. And I'm going to miss that. He really saw an opportunity to be a source of the cultural product to the community. He saw that there was a need, there was a lack, and he was at that intersection of being able to provide those resources and those products. He would say it's been a labor of love to stay open all those years there were lean times and high times, so that been flow has been consistent, but lately it's been really on the up."
In a 2015 interview, Yusef Harris told Nashville Scene that "sometimes I feel like I'm getting old, because I'll have people come in and tell me how their parents used to shop here.... I appreciate it, and it makes me feel good. People remember coming in here when they were little. We used to host storytelling here, and the parents would bring their children in, and they told me that it had really made a difference. It's empowering, because a lot of the time we don't recognize the importance of reading. It's not prioritized enough, especially among African-Americans. Getting parents to value reading and storytelling is so important."