In The City Of Chicago, IL, Where Only A Few Black-Owned Bookstores Exist, This Entrepreneur Now Owns 2 Of Them

Few Black-owned bookstores exist in Chicago, IL, yet Danielle Moore now owns two.

ABC7 reported that Moore is the founder of the Semicolon Bookstore. Her vision for the store was to create a space that reflected her likes and interests: books and the arts.

“Semicolon’s creation was a complete accident,” she told The Newsette. “I wanted a space where I would want to hang out all day, and my favorite things are books and art, so it just made sense. I wanted the space to feel like home, and I believe that it does.”

Per the company’s website, Semicolon Bookstore’s mission is to increase literacy rates in the city by creating access to and generating interest in books.

“We were created with one thing in mind — community . We are committed to having a direct impact in raising literacy rates in Chicago and beyond,” the website mentioned.

Semicolon Bookstore hosts monthly events for Chicago Public Schools students to take home books free of charge.

“To initiate this change, we invite CPS students to the store every month to #ClearTheShelves. Free of charge, students can take home whatever books they’d like,” its website said. “Investing in our youth, one book at a time.”

Moore echoed the importance of literacy. “Kids have to feel like reading is cool. Our mission is to bridge the literacy gap among [minority] communities,” she said, per ABC7.

Furthermore, children can pull from a selection pool in which 80% is from authors of color, Moore said, per ABC7.

“The way I feel, it’s not specifically for the Black community, but specifically for people, to know that there are Black authors out there doing good work,” said Lester Harris, a customer at the bookstore.

Most recently, Semicolon Bookstore expanded to a second location in Chicago, IL. Readers can now visit the shop downtown at 400 N. Michigan Avenue in the Wrigley Building.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted July 16, 2024.

“Semicolon on the river is officially open!!! Thank you to @chicagosmayor @chicagobacp @themagmile and @thewrigleybuilding for creating space for us,” a caption from the bookstore’s Instagram read.