AXIOS (Delano Massey) - Black-owned bookstores reach record numbers, but many still struggle
Just 54 Black-owned bookstores were identified across the U.S a decade ago. Today, a new report counts 306. Why it matters: As public schools and libraries remove books by Black authors — from Beloved to The 1619 Project — Black-owned bookstores are increasingly serving as places where readers can access contested titles and authors' full bodies of work — and gather in community to discuss them. The big picture: Though the first State of the Black Bookstore report documented growth, that uptick masks economic fragility, a reality many owners say is forcing bookstores to evolve beyond traditional retail. - "We're in a climate right now where our history is being erased and debated in schools and libraries," Jill Gibson, CEO of…