Education Resources

Led by Amber Cabral, author of Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture (Wiley Press), in conversation with Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker and Dr. Lauren Wadsworth, authors of Did That Just Happen?!: Beyond “Diversity” ― Creating Sustainable and Inclusive Organizations (Beacon Press), this session will guide booksellers in recognizing harmful practices and creating necessary steps around dismantling a culture of white supremacy in the workplace.

Celebrate the representation of Black girls in middle grade and young adult science fiction and fantasy stories as well as the Black female authors who create these characters and works. Authors Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, and Tracy Deonn will be in conversation to discuss the fandom, world-building, stories, and characters that inspire and excite them as artists and readers.

Pre-registration required. Registration is closed. Join bestselling and award-winning authors Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds in conversation on the history of racist ideas in America and how to better navigate these complex realities. Reynolds and Kendi’s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, March 2020) delivers a timely YA reimagining of Kendi’s National Book Award-winning Stamped From the Beginning. Through his work, Kendi has explored how racist ideas were developed by some of the most brilliant minds in history to justify and rationalize the nation’s deeply entrenched discriminatory policies. But while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited. Jason Reynolds’s remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning also offers the tools needed to combat these ideas. With Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, Kendi and Reynolds have come together to deliver an energizing narrative that speaks to young people and shines a light on the many insidious forms of racism—and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

In the 1960s and 1970s, scores of Black bookstores opened in the U.S. Founded by activist entrepreneurs, these indie stores served as a refuge and intellectual center for communities in search of books by and about Black people. This Wi15 keynote event will be a wide-open conversation about the history and vital position of Black bookstores in our communities and in our industry with pioneers of Black bookselling and publishing, moderated by Professor Joshua Clark Davis, author of From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs (Columbia University Press). Speakers include: W. Paul Coates, Black Classic Press (Baltimore, MD); Shirikiana Aina Gerima, Sankofa Video Books and Cafe (Washington, D.C.); Judy Richardson, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (Atlanta, GA); Nati Kamau-Nataki, Everyone's Place (Baltimore, MD).

The panel brings together respected booksellers, Shirikiana Gerima, Ramunda Lark Young, and Hannah Oliver Depp, to examine the intersections of race, literature, and entrepreneurship. The panelists will explore the importance of their contributions to the bookselling eco-system, activism, and what is required to create diverse, equitable environments. Panelists: Glory Edim, Well-Read Black Girl, Founder (New York, NY), Shirikiana Gerima, Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe (Washington, D.C.), Ramunda Lark Young, MahoganyBooks (Washington, D.C.) , Hannah Oliver Depp, Loyalty Bookstore (Washington, D.C.)

One of the most anticipated and talked about books of the 2020, American Dirt, touches on issues of immigration on the southern US border, the politics of our current world and ultimately a mothers fierce love for her son. Javier Ramirez, co-owner of Madison Street Books (Chicago, IL) and Jeannie Cummings, author, will engage in a conversation about the work and the impact it has already had in the industry and indie bookselling community. Panelists: Jeanine Cummins, author, Flatiron Books, Javier Ramirez, Madison Street Books (Chicago, IL),

An independent bookstore's backlist exemplifies the independence of the store as an institution, as well as the creators of the book space, and its customers. It is through this curation, experiences and learning opportunities are created that reflect a bookstore's community and propels the business and its community forward. This session will provide insight into how to serve a community by going beyond the classics and the methods and challenges faced in curating a backlist representative of the bookstore's culture. Panelists: Paul Yamazaki, City Lights Booksellers and Publishers (San Francisco, CA) , Derrick Young, MahoganyBooks (Washington, DC) , Rio Cortez, Schomburg Shop (Harlem, NY), Clarissa Hadge, Trident Booksellers (Boston, MA), Alena Jones, Seminary Co-op Bookstore (Chicago, IL)

In this session, a panel of diverse publishers will share their experiences in publishing, including how the industry is changing, where it still needs to grow, and efforts bookstores can take to raise awareness, lift voices, and support authors of color.

This year, the American Booksellers Association is partnering with Well-Read Black Girl founder Glory Edim to bring book club meetings to independent bookstores nationwide with the goal of amplifying diverse voices and supporting emerging writers of color. Booksellers are invited to sign on to serve as ambassadors and host Well-Read Black Girl book clubs in their stores throughout the year. Learn more about the partnership.

Representation matters. #OwnVoices matters. As bearers of knowledge and information for children, it is imperative that a bookstore’s inventory reflects the experiences of all kinds of people to cultivate cultural awareness and engender empathy in youth. One step toward a more inclusive collection of books is to conduct a diversity audit on your store’s inventory. This session will teach attendees how to:

• Assess their inventory
• Conduct an audit
• Identify where attention needs to be focused
• Use an audit to inform the ordering process