Black Pearl Books, an all-ages independent bookstore in Austin, Tex., with a mission to promote diversity, inclusion, equity and cultural awareness, has moved into a permanent home at 7112 Burnet St., KXAN reported.
"When we look at Black History Month, and the history of it and why it exists, it goes back to that fight and that pushing through for African Americans," store owner Katrina Brooks said. "It was important for me to be in a space to be representative."
An "entrepreneur at heart" with a love of books and passion for education, Brooks was inspired to open a bookstore of her own after visiting a Black-owned bookstore in Washington, D.C., while on a road trip with her family. She had already noticed that while there were independent bookstores in Austin, there were none that focused on diversity and inclusion.
Brooks founded the store in November 2019, initially selling books out of her home and at pop-up locations around Austin. Pop-ups went on hold during the early months of the pandemic, and she was doing web orders only in summer 2020. Her business saw an immense surge of orders, sometimes as many as six or seven per minute, as protests swept the country in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.
Prior to securing her own storefront, she was sharing space with another local business. The store officially moved into its new building on February 1.