Rachel Kramer Bussel | Senior Contributor
Media
I write about books, publishing, authors and readers
In early July, Onikah Asamoa-Caeser opened brick-and-mortar independent bookstore Fulton Street Books & Coffee, which centers “the stories, narrative sand lived experiences of people of color and marginalized communities,” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prior to the opening the brick-and-mortar bookstore, the store was a bookseller at author events, such as one with civil rights attorney Ben Crump, author of Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People, sold titles at local markets, and began selling books online via Bookshop.
In June, in response to inquiries from customers, Fulton Street Books & Coffee began offering a limited edition monthly Ally Box featuring two books, resources on racism and activism, and an online learning space for further discussion; subscribers would find out the titles once they received the boxes. Priced at $80/month over the course of three months, the Ally Box quickly sold out. Via email, I interviewed Asamoa-Caeser about her motivation for opening the bookstore, how the Ally Box helps address racism, and why it’s been so popular.
Why did you decide to open Fulton Street Books & Coffee?
Opening a bookstore has always been a dream of mine. I decided to open Fulton Street Books & Coffee now because, to borrow from the language of Angela Davis, I could no longer accept the things I could not change and so decided to change the things I could not accept. I was calling the city of Tulsa home, yet I felt like there was no space for me here. Many of my friends were feeling the same way. Where was our space in this city? Not just one that was “welcoming” or “didn’t see color.” We needed a space that was made for us, where we were part of the very fabric of the space. We didn’t have one, so I decided to create one. Fulton Street is a space that centers on the stories, narratives, and lived experiences of BIPOC.
What gave you the idea for the Ally Box?
The Ally Box was made for such a time as this. We all witnessed the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many folks started to interrogate the systems that continue to allow Black people to be disproportionately killed by the police. People, particularly white people, were reaching out and wanting to learn more. So we started getting questions such as: “What books can I read to learn more?” “What books should I read first?” “How can I be a better ally as a white person?”
Our mission at Fulton Street Books & Coffee is twofold: build community and increase literacy. We had the opportunity to support folks in their learning and decided to take it—hence the Ally Box, a limited subscription service that offers two books a month, additional resources for how to be an ally, and access to an online learning collaborative.
What books have been included, and why did you select those? Are they all nonfiction?
The first box included So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein. The second box will have White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo and How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. The third box is still a surprise but we are including one fiction title because it’s important to not limit Black authors to texts about racism.
In addition to the books, the Ally Box includes resources and an online learning collaborative. Can you tell me more about what those will entail, and why you included them?
The online learning collaborative is a space for additional discussion, thought partnering and resource sharing. It’s where most of the magic happens. We also host “Fireside Chat Fridays” where we invite different speakers to take deep dives into specific content and answer questions from our participants. Past hosts have included Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, twin sister of Terence Crutcher, who was killed by Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby, while unarmed and with his hands in the air; and Andre Perry, author of Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities. Those chats happen live and are recorded and posted on the group’s Facebook page.
As far as resources, those vary from month to month. In Ally Box #1, folks received flashcards for common terms like “implicit bias” and “anti-racist” so that we can all work from common definitions when we are having conversations about race and racism in this country. Ally Box #2 includes a set of action steps people can take financially and politically, and via social media and in their workplace, so that we are continuing to not only learn but also take action to disrupt the status quo.
Who do you see as the target audience for the Ally Box? What do you hope participants take away from the readings and teachings?
Our target audience are folks who want to learn more and want to use that learning to impact structural change to racist systems in this country. I hope that folks walk away understanding what educator and activist Dwayne Reed says: “White supremacy is not a Black issue that White people need to empathize with, but rather a White issue that White people need to solve.” For too long folks have been on the sidelines believing that there is such a thing as neutral when it comes to racist systems that have plagued Black, immigrant, and marginalized communities in this country. There is no neutral. As the great Desmond Tutu said: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” We need everyone to be actively working towards dismantling systems that continue to produce adverse racial disparities.
How have sales been for the Ally Box?
We sold out at close to 1,500 subscriptions. Because we are still in the middle of a pandemic and want to ensure the safety of our team, we had to close sales. Getting 1,500 boxes packed and shipped is no easy task, especially while adhering to masks mandates and social distancing guidelines. Throw in shipping delays and the layers of stress begin to stack, but fortunately our subscribers have been incredibly patient and understanding.
How have sales been for the Ally Box?
We sold out at close to 1,500 subscriptions. Because we are still in the middle of a pandemic and want to ensure the safety of our team, we had to close sales. Getting 1,500 boxes packed and shipped is no easy task, especially while adhering to masks mandates and social distancing guidelines. Throw in shipping delays and the layers of stress begin to stack, but fortunately our subscribers have been incredibly patient and understanding.
For those who weren’t able to subscribe to the Ally Box, what other books and resources do you suggest they read?
A few weeks ago, the New York Times bestseller list was all books about race and racism. It’s a great list to start with: How to Be an Antiracist and Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, So You Want to Talk About Race and White Fragility.
Why do you think the Ally Box was so popular? Do you plan to offer it or a similar package again?
In part because people are looking for answers. In a recent discussion about the performative nature of people joining books clubs on anti-racism a participant said, “I think we {white people} keep reading because we are hoping someone will tell us what to do.” That has stuck with me. People are looking for direction.
The other thing we see happening is that once people start interrogating our current systems they start to realize that our public and private education systems have failed, and are failing, to teach a true and accurate account of the history of this country. As far as what we will do after this round, we are still deciding.