Someone mentioned to me that they have seen many black bookstores come and go. I wondered what they meant, why did that apply to me. I’m not marketing Texture as a black bookstore or afrocentric bookstore. I too have seen such come and go, mostly because they don’t provide a wide selection. Which has always puzzled me as there are thousands of black authors; more than enough to fill a store if indeed you wanted to have a bookstore targeted just to that culture. My store will be a used book store (with a small new books selection) not targeted to any specific ethnic group.

His comment made me wonder, how many people will see my store as a black bookstore simply because I am black. That never occurred to me. When I think of a store or a product or a service or whatever as being ‘black’ I think of something that specifically is targeted to, for, or about black people. Like Spelman is a black college. BET is a black television station/channel. Essence is a black magazine. You get what I mean? I hope no one is disappointed when they see it is just a used bookstore not targeted specifically for black people.