Sister’s Uptown Bookstore Fundraiser Party Recap

By Marc W. Polite

Greetings, my readers. This past Friday, I attended a fundraising party for Sister’s Uptown Bookstore and Cultural Center in Harlem. The purpose of the fundraiser is to help keep the store open.  In recent weeks, there was an uptick of media coverage about the predicament of the bookstore. The Amsterdam News and Pix 11 published articles about Sister’s Uptown and it’s 25 years of operation and service to the Harlem community.

Sister’s Uptown Bookstore owner Janifer Wilson has called upon the community at this challenging time. In what turned out to be a standing room only event, many people showed up to support.

The event was kicked off by a performance from the Get Up Ensemble. Renown poet Ngoma Hill shared words of encouragement with the crowd. Attendees were reminded of the importance of acknowledging the ancestors, well known or not.

Among the people in the audience were Joe Rogers of Total Equity Now, Sally DeJesus, facilator of Poetry Speaks for Us,  Laura Bowman, playwright and children’s book author, and author Karen Taborn. Representing independent media in the crowd there was Rick Young, host of “What’s In Your Hand” on WHCR, and Lenny Matthews of the Lenny Matthews Show.

After the performance, a segment of the program permitted people to speak on the impact of Sister’s Uptown Bookstore on the community. I took the opportunity to talk briefly about my affinity for Janifer and the institution she has built. If you search this blog, you’ll learn that Sister’s Uptown was where I held my first  booksigning As an independently published author, it is challenging to have one’s work received by most bookstores. This goes double for Black authors. Often marginalized by the mainstream, Black authors have a strong base of support in Sister’s Uptown Bookstore, which is the only Black owned bookstore in Manhattan.

While there, I picked up America’s Racial Karma by Larry Ward and the most recent issue of the Amsterdam News. I am grateful that I was able to attend this fundraiser. The fact that so many people came out is a good sign. 

I also would like to share a bit of news here with you the reader. Should you feel so inclined, there is still an opportunity to stand with Sister’s Uptown Bookstore and donate. You may see the donation link here. Stand With Sisters Donation Link

Second, the bookstore will be having future fundraising drives, and is currently working on a Harlem Renaissance themed Gala sometime in the Fall. Once I have more information on this, I will gladly share it with my readers here.

Here is some further reading if you want to know more about what is occurring with the store. 

A Beloved Black-Owned Bookstore Is Facing Its Most Difficult Chapter Yet

Black-Owned Bookstore Turned Community Hub In NYC Faces Risk Of Being Shelved

That’s all I have to say in this recap. Thank you for reading. Until next blog post… peace!!

-M.W.P.