North Carolina’s first black-owned children’s bookstore faced a heartbreaking fate, forced to close its doors due to a series of chilling death threats. The closure shocked the community and raised concerns about safety and inclusivity in the literary world. This disturbing incident highlights the challenges faced by black-owned businesses and the urgent need for support and protection against hate and discrimination.
Despite efforts to bolster security measures, the escalating nature of the threats left no choice but to close down. The heartbreaking decision to cease operations marked an abrupt end to a cherished community hub for young readers.
Liberation Station reportedly opened on Juneteenth last year. The book store is known for hosting events for the community and selling children’s books written and illustrated by Black and underrepresented authors and illustrators. “Unfortunately, we live in a country that has given permission to the nameless and faceless people to make threats and cause harm, emotional harm,” owner Victoria Scott-Miller said.
On Monday, Scott-Miller took to her Instagram to tell her followers that the bookstore will be moving on April 30 after receiving death threats. “Since September, we’ve faced numerous threats following the opening of our store,” Scott-Miller wrote. “Some we brushed off, while others included a disturbing phone call detailing what our son Langston wore when he was at the shop alone.” Scott-Miller runs the store with her husband and 13-year-old son but after receiving those threats they decided to stop working there two weeks ago. “We went away for two weeks just to breathe and process that the thing we had created for good was now attempting to be destroyed and taken away from us in some way,” she said.
“We’ve been strategizing within our means to avoid being targeted,” she wrote. Scott-Miller also shared why she was hesitant to make her concerns public. “Part of the reason why we didn’t want to talk about this is because I didn’t want to become the face of another movement,” she said. “I didn’t want to become the face of another cause.
“I wanted to settle into this space with a peace that we all deserve.”
Scott-Miller made it clear that this won’t be the end of Liberation Station, writing, “It certainly won’t mark the end of Liberation Station Bookstore. There is so much more work to be done.”
“Afterwards, we will begin our move forward,” Scott-Miller said. “Any remaining inventory will be donated to literacy nonprofits throughout the Triangle.”
It’s unfortunate that North Carolina’s 1st black-owned children’s bookstore is facing closure due to despicable death threats. The impact on the local community has been profound, raising concerns about safety and highlighting the need for support and resilience in the face of adversity. The nature of the threats, coupled with the response from Raleigh Police, underscores the challenges faced by black-owned businesses and the importance of standing together against hate.
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