In Black Ink

We underrate the importance of us gathering for particular purposes ... community!

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Black-owned bookstores are creating spaces where community, culture, and connection can thrive.

From Miami's Roots Bookstore and Market to independent shops across the country, these spaces are introducing a new generation of readers to Black stories while serving as gathering places for conversations, events, learning, and belonging.

At a time when access to books and diverse perspectives is increasingly under threat, these bookstores are helping to preserve history, amplify voices, and build community, one reader at a time.

Read more in the comments. 📚🖤

[Image: Philip Agnew at Roots Bookstore and Market]

Congrats young people!

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MARK YOIR CALENDAR! Save the date!! AUGUST 22, 2026.

Black Garnet Books presents ✨ The Midwest Black Book Fair ✨ All communities are welcomed to join us to honor stories of the resistance and uplift intersectional narratives of Blackness, Black history, and Black futurity. The fair will be held on 📆Saturday, August 22 during Black August—a month-long commemoration dedicated to honoring Black abolitionists, freedom fighters, and political prisoners. We are the stewards of these stories. Our Black-owned/led literary partners include: @strivepub / @strive_bookstore, @babycakesbooks, @mninblackink, @griotartsmn, @givenscollection, @morethan1singlestory, @saintpaulalmanac, @plantingpeoplegrowingjustice, @mindseyecomicsmn, @wise_ink, @hellopicturebookparade, and @uhurubooks. We’re looking for Black vendors, Black authors, and publishers who want to uplift Black narratives (apply by June 30). Support this event by donating, sponsoring, or volunteering! Visit midwestblackbookfair.com (link in bio) for information about vendoring, donating, or sponsoring! Volunteer information to follow. More details including tickets, event happenings, and author appearances to follow!!

NoName Book Club’s June’s book:

The will to change by Bell Hooks

Saturday, June 27, 2026
1 pm - 3 pm
Black Ink - 848 Selby Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104.

Book clubs matter

What a busy May! We are now officially halfway through 2026. We apologize for not updating those of you who have become accustomed to our happenings reported in our newsletter. It will return soon. Until then, gratitude goes out to all who continue to come out to check out what we do, extend support, and join ranks as partners. We enjoyed hosting the Pay Attention group for their last board meeting here in the IBI studio. Also, thank you for the opportunity to present our newest venture to you.

Thank you to the 200 Mounds View and Irondale students, staff, and parents who visited In Black Ink last week!

Shoutout to all those brilliant 10-12 grade students for their questions, interest, and engagement! Over the course of 4 hours, we were able to rotate smaller groups of students through our office space.

We continue to be grateful to Dr. Shakita Thomas-Kpetay for organizing this opportunity for the last 3 years and appreciate Alexander Gray, from Irondale, and Jenna Claflin from Mounds View for continuing this annual visit. It is inspiring to see students reach out for feedback on ways to connect further with the community and ways to build and improve their own writing and/or literary skills.

May Noname Book Club Twin Cities Meeting

This month we'll be reading Brotherhood by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, which explores themes of totalitarianism, cowardice, and courage, focusing on two parallel narratives: grieving mothers writing letters and a group of intellectuals attempting to publish an underground newspaper to fight the regime's brutality.

Saturday, May 30th, 1pm-3pm

In Black Ink, 848a Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55104

In Black Ink visited its sister publishing house in Baltimore, Maryland. As far as we know, BCP Digital Printing is the only Black owned and operated BOOK printing press in the US!
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Out of Baltimore Maryland ... Black-owned and family-owned publishing and printing businesses for over 40 + years!

Paul Coates founded in 1978, Black Classic Press which is devoted to publishing obscure and significant works by and about people of African descent. They specialize in republishing works that are out of print and quite often out of memory. They began publishing because we wanted to extend the memory of what we believe are important books that have helped in meaningful ways to shape the Black diasporic experience and our understanding of the world. Black Classic Press, Inc.

https://www.blackclassicbooks.com

The Coates family in 1995 started BCP Digital Printing started as a complementary business to Black Classic Press, which is a niche book publishing company we founded in 1978. In our early days, we printed books for our parent company and a few independent publishers. More than two decades later, we’ve become experts at providing a wide range of book printing services with over 4 million books printed!

https://www.agooddaytoprint.com
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