The Free Black Women’s Library began as 100 books in a suitcase back in 2015, on the steps of a brownstone in Brooklyn, New York.

Artist Olaronke Akinmowo brought the books by Black women authors in a suitcase to stoops, inviting community members to trade a book by a Black woman author for one of hers.

As her 100 books quickly became 1,000 — including comic books, zines, journals and more — she began hosting the library in pop-ups across the city. It was a place where people of all genders, ages, races and abilities could trade books, talk about what they were reading, and even attend author talks, performances and workshops.

While it began as a simple social art project, she dreamed that one day the library would have a permanent home — both in a building and on wheels. In 2022, that dream finally became a reality after a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $100,000 in just two months.

“I was feeling really affirmed, like, ‘People really believe in this project and think it’s a good idea!’ I want to make people proud. The fact that I was able to raise it in such a short amount of time is something I’m super grateful for.”

Akinmowo found the perfect space in Brooklyn to house the library and a van or truck to serve as a bookmobile. In August 2022, the library opened at 226 Marcus Garvey Boulevard.

As well as the 5,000 books by Black women and Black non-binary writers, the library offers a free store, a period pantry, a virtual Reading Club, a weekly book swap, and a wide array of workshops and free public programs.

“I’ve always wanted to figure out a way to have a space where the library can live full-time, and I’ve always wanted to have a book mobile,” she said. “I am hoping this will be a fully-funded cultural institution with staff, that people can use in the same way that they would use any public library. I’m hoping that it will serve as a powerful resource in the community.”

The library has traveled to Detroit, Philadelphia, North Carolina, Baltimore and elsewhere, and even has a branch in Los Angeles.

“The library shows us as we are, in different forms and different perspectives,” Akinmowo said. “This is important to me because, still, in 2021, Black women are minimized, objectified, erased, harassed, criminalized, threatened and made to feel like we’re less-than. Part of what the library does is, in addition to showing how amazing we are, it shows how human we are. It shows us as human beings who are worthy of space, daydreaming, and vulnerability.”

“I’ve always loved going to the library,” she told TIme Out. “I feel like the library is one of the most valid, important cultural institutions in society. It’s really part of what I think shapes a community.” 

“We want it to be a very inclusive space, a very accessible space, and a space where people can gather and feel like they can be themselves and you don’t have to be an academic or scholar or some type of fancy professional,” she says. 

Sources:

Inside the revolutionary Free Black Women’s Library in Brooklyn Time Out, Mar. 30 2023

These Heroes Are Saving Black Feminist Classics by Putting Them on Wheels. Teen Vogue, Jan. 8 2019

Inside The Free Black Women’s Library in Brooklyn. NBC New York, May 19 2023

Cover image and all photos are from the Free Black Women’s Library website.