Husband-and-wife team Demetrius and Celena Frazier co-own Resist Booksellers in Petersburg. On June 17, they’re hosting a grand opening of their new, larger storefront at 233 N. Sycamore St. (Photo by Jay Paul)
The phrase “representation matters” is experiencing a groundswell of late, solidifying the mindset that, if you can see it, you can be it. Two recently opened Black-owned bookstores have taken this sentiment to heart, focusing on authors who have been historically under-represented. Resist Booksellers in Petersburg held a soft opening in January, and The Book Bar opened at 1311 E. Main St. in February 2022. They’re currently the only two independent bookstores in Central Virginia focusing on authors of color.
Demetrius Frazier, co-owner of Resist Booksellers (Photo by Jay Paul)
Resist co-owner Demetrius Frazier’s impetus for opening the store was the difficulty he had finding authors and stories that reflect his own experiences.
“So, me, a Black man going to a store looking for books that I wanted to read, I always had to go to the back. So, a new published author that just came out with a book is not at the front because it’s not on The New York Times Best Seller lists,” Frazier says, adding, “When [Resist customers] come in here, they get the exact opposite, where they can come in, see the author that they’re looking for that reflects their experience, tells their stories, looks like them first, and then all the other stuff.”
Krystle Dandridge, owner of The Book Bar, opened her shop for similar reasons.
“It’s very much giving a voice to the voiceless for marginalized communities, Black and brown authors, so that’s what we promote,” she says. “In the store, I wanted it to be different, because you can go to any bookstore and find white authors because that’s what’s considered mainstream. … I wanted to create a space that highlighted all, not just the bestsellers lists.”
Both stores originated online. Frazier started Resist Booksellers with his wife, Celena, in February 2022 to test the waters prior to committing to a brick-and-mortar business. Dandridge, a licensed therapist, launched The Book Bar’s website in June 2021. She laughs when thinking back on coming up with the concept.
“I get bored very easily, [and] during COVID, what were we all doing? Sitting and doing nothing, and so it just kind of gave me time to think, … and I had been thinking about books and the fact that it’s so difficult for me to find books and find books by people who look like me with stories about people who look like me, stories that I can relate to.”
Events are a large part of the shops’ efforts to engage with the community and spotlight local independent authors. Both stores hold author events virtually and in store. It’s one of the reasons Resist is moving to an adjacent storefront at 233 N. Sycamore St. that will expand its square footage from 850 to 2,500 square feet, providing more space for inventory and events. A grand opening is set for June 17, coinciding with the Juneteenth holiday weekend, and will include an in-person poetry reading among other online and in-person experiences.
“Our goal is to help motivate, inspire and to be a community center for book clubs, avid readers, nonreaders and nonprofits as well,” Frazier says, adding, “But to also make sure that we reflect back what the community is looking for. So, here it is in Petersburg we have a population that’s predominantly Black, and they haven’t had a bookstore that they can call their own for decades. So not only is there not an independent bookstore, but there’s not an independent bookstore that is selling things that they’re interested in.”
The Fraziers curate a thoughtful selection of books, but also field requests for authors, titles and genres — such as manga, which was recently requested by a patron, so the Fraziers are planning to add it to their inventory in their new location.
Krystle Dandridge, owner of The Book Bar (Photo courtesy The Book Bar)
Dandridge aims to provide an inviting community space at The Book Bar. From the comfy chairs to her mother’s original vinyl record collection that she plays in the store, it’s a welcoming atmosphere for discussing books or just relaxing quietly with a good story. In keeping with its name, The Book Bar hosts wine tastings and sells bottles produced by Black-owned wineries.
Both businesses also offer additional merchandise from Black-owned businesses, such as bookmarks and candles at Resist. The Book Bar offers wine, art, beauty products, cookies, tote bags and more, and Dandridge offers a quarterly subscription box that delivers a variety of wellness items and books direct to subscribers.
Dandridge says her original goal with the shop was to be a full-service wine bar, but she had to postpone her plans due to Virginia’s alcohol laws; she’s planning to expand wine service next year. After a year as a brick-and-mortar, she says, community response to the shop has been gratifying. The Fraziers are planning to expand in-person event offerings in their new, larger storefront while continuing to serve as a place for readers to enjoy their books in peace.
The shop owners have similar reasons for wanting to open their bookstores in the Richmond region: “Because it wasn’t here, and I believe representation matters,” Dandridge says. “We belong everywhere, and we weren’t here.”
Summer Reading List
A sampling of recommendations to add to your must-reads
Demetrius Frazier’s picks:
- “Self-Care for Black Women” by Oludara Adeeyo
- “Moonrise Over New Jessup” by Jamila Minnicks
- “The House of Eve” by Sadeqa Johnson
Krystle Dandridge’s picks:
- “Blood Debts” by Terry J. Benton-Walker
- “We Are All So Good at Smiling” by Amber McBride
- “All the Sinners Bleed” by S.A. Cosby
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