Roots Bookstore & Market, a new and used bookstore and community space, opened last month in Miami, Fla., the Miami Times reported.
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| Phillip Agnew and Isaiah Thomas (via Facebook) |
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Located at 6610 NW 15th Ave., Roots Bookstore sells titles for all ages across many genres, with an emphasis on Black, banned, and local authors. Owners Isaiah Thomas, Phillip Agnew, and Sherina Jones welcomed customers for the first time on Juneteenth and opened the store with the help of a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $13,000.
"There's something unique about holding a book in your hand," Agnew told the Miami Times. "We want our people--Black, Latino, immigrant folks--to be able to come in and see themselves on the shelves. They'll also have the opportunity to experience other worlds that they wouldn't otherwise experience."
The books Roots carries "tell a story," Thomas said. "A lot of people in our government don't want that story to be told. When someone reads a book, you can take them places and give them ideas. It's embedded in them."
Roots Bookstore grew out of Roots Black House, a collective and community space launched by Thomas and Daniel Agnew, Phillip's brother, in 2017. As the collective grew over the years, Daniel Agnew talked about wanting to open a bookstore but was never able to do so before his death in a car accident in 2023. When they discussed the future of Roots Black House afterward, Thomas and Phillip Agnew decided to pursue Daniel's idea of opening a bookstore.
The Roots collective has a long history of partnerships with community nonprofits, which the bookstore will continue. Long-term goals for the space include adding a cafe.
"We want folks to really feel a level of ownership and a level of comfort in the space that we have, and safety," Agnew added.