Nappy Roots Books recently hosted a grand reopening celebration for its new location in the Northeast Town Center Shopping Plaza at 3621 N. Lottie Ave., Oklahoma City, Okla. City News OKC reported that the afternoon festivities included an event featuring visual artist Willie Mae Brown, author of My Selma, True Stories of a Southern Childhood at the Height of the Civil Rights Movement; as well as Southern-style refreshments and live blues entertainment and civil rights anthems provided by guitarist Cherryl Seard and percussionist Manny Brooks. The event was themed "Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future."
"We were excited to welcome Willie Mae Brown and have her share stories of her childhood during this critical time in our nation's history," said Camille Landry, the shop's owner and director. "Our bookstore's mission is to honor our past and build our future by providing books, programs, and services to our community. This is how we honor our past and build our future."
She added that the bookstore's mission "is to bring literature that reflects the culture and interests of African people to our community at affordable cost. We also host book discussions and cultural events. Check us out and get your read on."
In a November Facebook post, Landry had announced that the bookstore, which opened in 2017, had been evicted from its previous location "because the new landlord wants to gentrify the area. But we are determined to continue to serve our community!"