Historic Black-Owned Bookstore in Missouri Undergoes Transformation by Media Startup
In a significant move for the Black community in Missouri, The Kansas City Defender is transforming Willa's Books and Vinyl, the oldest Black-owned bookstore in Kansas City, into the B-REAL Academy. This transition marks the continuation of Willa Robinson's decades-long legacy and the expansion of Black radical education and literacy.
Willa's Books and Vinyl, founded in 2007 and active since the 1990s, has been a beacon of Black literature for the community. The bookstore focused on providing literature where Black children and youth could see themselves positively represented, with founder Willa Robinson emphasizing the importance of books by Black authors to engage Black boys and youth.
As Willa Robinson retires at the age of 84, she passes the bookstore's legacy and extensive collection of over 20,000 books by Black authors to The KC Defender’s founder, Ryan Sorrell. The KC Defender, a nonprofit digital startup, will maintain the bookstore's legacy as an essential resource to the Black community, while also transforming it into a public archive and the new headquarters of The KC Defender.
The transformed bookstore will serve as a hub for radical Black education, archival preservation, and community engagement. The B-REAL Academy, a 15-week Black education initiative, will focus on Black radical education for abolition and liberation, and will also highlight histories that are often banned or erased.
The B-REAL Academy will be located within the transformed Willa's Books and Vinyl. The transformation aims to nourish a love of literature and continue providing free access to rare Black-centered books, making it a cultural and educational resource for the community.
The rent for Willa's Books and Vinyl is being paid by The Kansas City Defender, and the transformation is being funded by The KC Defender. The organisation is preparing to renovate and fundraise, including a $500,000 capital campaign, to preserve and expand the space for the community.
A farewell celebration was held at Willa's Books and Vinyl to mark its transformation. Melissa Ferrer-Civil, director of the academy and the official poet laureate for Kansas City, Missouri, made this announcement. Nina Kerrs, a Mutual Aid organizer with The Kansas City Defender, has been working since Spring 2024 to maintain the bookstore's legacy and mentioned that the books' first editions and deep history will be on display in the new space.
The B-REAL Academy will support The Defender's Mutual Aid efforts, including free grocery deliveries and clothing drives, ensuring that the bookstore's transformation extends beyond its walls and continues to serve the community.
[1] Startland News
[2] The Kansas City Defender
[3] Willa's Books and Vinyl
[4] B-REAL Academy
[5] KC Defender Capital Campaign
- The B-REAL Academy, located within the transformed Willa's Books and Vinyl, will not only serve as a hub for radical Black education but also foster a connection between literature and community lifestyle, families, and home-and-garden settings, as a wide range of topics from Black history to Black authors' works will be available.
- In addition to its role as a public archive and headquarters for The Kansas City Defender, the B-REAL Academy, funded by the KC Defender Capital Campaign, aims to create a vibrant music scene, collaborating with local artists to host events, workshops, and performances that represent the Black community and strengthen its bonds, reflecting the community's rich cultural heritage.
