MahoganyBooks

Last updated
MahoganyBooks
Company type Independent bookstore
Industry Bookselling
GenreWorks by African diaspora
Founded2007;18 years ago (2007)
Founder
  • Derrick Young
  • Ramunda Young
Area served
 Washington metropolitan area
Website www.mahoganybooks.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

MahoganyBooks is an independent bookstore specializing in works by the African diaspora. It was established as an online store in 2007 by Derrick and Ramunda Young. They opened a physical location at the Anacostia Arts Center in 2017 and a second location in National Harbor, Maryland opened on Juneteenth in 2021. [1]

Contents

History

MahoganyBooks is a Black-owned company cofounded by Derrick and Ramunda Young. [2] It was established in 2007 as an online bookstore operating out of the Youngs' one-bedroom apartment in Alexandria, Virginia. [2] [3] In November 2017, they opened a 500 square feet location at the Anacostia Arts Center. [2] The bookshop is named after their daughter. [4] [5] The Youngs opened MahoganyBooks as "a protest movement" aimed at empowering the Black community. [6] The store specializes in works by the African diaspora. [7] MahoganyBooks is the first D.C. bookshop to open east of the Anacostia River since the Pyramid Books chain closed in the mid-1990s. [8] [9] The logo is a silhouette of a girl with Afro puffs reading a book. [9]

In 2020, MahoganyBooks won a $5,000 "Resilient Together" grant from Cities of Service, the District of Columbia Office of Planning, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. The funds supported a yearlong series, Black Books Matter: From the Writer's Perspective which featured writings by Ward 8 residents. [5] On January 26, 2021, former U.S. president Barack Obama joined the MahoganyBook book club's Black History Month virtual kickoff meeting. [10]

In 2021, a second location opened on Juneteenth in National Harbor, Maryland. [1] [11]

References

  1. 1 2 Clabaugh, Jeff (2021-02-12). "MahoganyBooks will open 2nd location at National Harbor". WTOP. Archived from the original on 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  2. 1 2 3 Vinopal, Courtney (2017-12-20). "Anacostia's First New Bookstore in 20 Years Hopes to Reflect the Diversity of Its Community". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  3. ↑ Green, Alex (November 13, 2017). "MahoganyBooks to Open in Washington D.C." Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on 2021-08-01. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  4. ↑ Overstreet, Jennifer (July 21, 2020). "How MahoganyBooks adapted to the pandemic and racial justice movement". National Retail Federation . Archived from the original on 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  5. 1 2 Beckham, Aja (January 25, 2020). "MahoganyBooks Is Accepting Submissions For A New Content Series Reflecting On 2020". DCist. Archived from the original on 2021-02-06. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  6. ↑ Song, Jean (June 25, 2020). "Bookstore owners urge readers to go "beyond the book" as anti-racist titles fly off shelves". CBS News. Archived from the original on 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  7. ↑ Weir, Keziah (May 24, 2018). "This Trailblazing Black-Owned Bookstore Is Starting Conversations in D.C." Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  8. ↑ Randall, Kayla (2018-03-21). "MahoganyBooks, Anacostia's First New Bookstore in More Than 20 Years, Celebrates a New Chapter". Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  9. 1 2 Swalec, Andrea (February 10, 2018). "Black Bookstore Opens in Southeast DC 'Book Desert'". NBC4 Washington. Archived from the original on 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  10. ↑ Volou, Khalida; Leshan, Bruce (February 2, 2021). "Former President Barack Obama surprises members of local DC book club". WUSA9 . Archived from the original on 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  11. ↑ Henry, John (February 11, 2021). "Popular black-owned bookstore plans to open second DMV location". WUSA9 . Archived from the original on 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2021-02-13.

38°52′01″N76°59′19″W / 38.866947°N 76.9887078°W / 38.866947; -76.9887078

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.