The first Black-owned children’s bookstore in the state of North Carolina is shutting its doors after less than a year due to continuing threats aimed at the business and its employees.
When news of the impending closure hit the internet, many white commenters on X, formerly known as Twitter, offered some skepticism with a hint of racism.
Liberation Station Bookstore, which opened in June 2023 on the second floor of the Efird’s building in downtown Raleigh, will close on April 30, according to an announcement on Instagram by the store’s owner, Victoria Scott-Miller, who cited “numerous threats,” including a caller who took aim at one of her sons.
For much of the past year, the cozy little store has hosted regular public events while selling children’s books created by Black authors and other underrepresented writers and illustrators.
“Unfortunately, we live in a country that has given permission to the nameless and faceless people to make threats and cause harm, emotional harm,” Scott-Miller told station WRAL in Raleigh.
Despite the store’s positive impact in the community, the threats started in September and Scott-Miller’s fortunes took a sudden turn for the worse just a few months after opening.
“Since September, we’ve faced numerous threats,” she said. “Some we brushed off, while others included a disturbing phone call detailing what our son Langston wore when he was at the shop alone.”
Scott-Miller, who runs the store with her husband and 13-year-old son, vowed the store would reopen at a later time and place, saying she was eager to “go back to the drawing board to reassess and redefine what we will need in our next location.”
“It certainly won’t mark the end of Liberation Station Bookstore,” she said. “There is so much more work to be done.”
On the other hand, however, Scott-Miller acknowledged the pressure she’s faced, saying she and her family had to pause running the store for around two weeks last year to decompress from the ongoing threats.
“We went away for two weeks just to breathe and process that the thing we had created for good was now attempting to be destroyed and taken away from us in some way,” she said.
It’s unclear what the specific threats were and whether police reports were ever filed.
Previously, Scott-Miller revealed that her children are actively involved in choosing which books are sold at the store, although she didn’t cite specific titles or whether they were controversial.
The threats began at a time when conservative objections to specific books were on the rise in Raleigh public schools. Books like “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” “Gender Queer,” “George,” and “Lawn Boy” were all at the center of a political firestorm in North Carolina last summer, according to local news reports.
Amid the tense climate, Scott-Miller felt the need to protect herself and her family, often altering the store’s business hours to throw off those behind the threats.
“We’ve been strategizing within our means to avoid being targeted,” she told her followers on social media.
In January, Scott-Miller raised concerns about the threats to the building’s landlords as they began showcasing the space to potential new tenants.
“Because we’re in the business of children, we’re responsible for their safety,” Scott-Miller said, while noting that she was afraid to reveal her concerns.
“Part of the reason why we didn’t want to talk about this is because I didn’t want to become the face of another movement,” she told the news station. “I didn’t want to become the face of another cause. I wanted to settle into this space with a peace that we all deserve.”
Civil Rights advocate and attorney Ben Crump shared news coverage of the closure with his 675K followers on X, formerly known as twitter.
The comment section was riddled with skeptical takes from white commentors who seemingly proved Scott-Miller’s point on the level of vitriol that can elevate to threats.
“Here we go again…,” started one commenter.
“-A black-focused business fails, apparently because people don’t like race-based books
-A black person claims racism is why they’re closing (in a city that is 28% black) with ZERO evidence
-Local media & race baiters (like Crump) blindly embrace allegations
🤮”
“Does she have evidence of the so-called threats everyone who screams that they are being racially intimidated? It turns out to be that they’re lying once the FBI gets involved,” quipped another with the ironic handle name Free Thinker.
It is on the 2d floor of a non-descript building. No signage. I imagine the move has much more to do with lack of sales revenue than anything else. pic.twitter.com/KVqr0HPHAP
— John Patrick (@injunjohn86) April 4, 2024
One supporter was dismayed by the news. “This makes me angry and sick at heart! I send support and care to the creators of Liberation Station Bookstore!”
The bookstore will remain operational until April 13, Scott-Miller said.
“Afterwards, we will begin our move forward. Any remaining inventory will be donated to literacy nonprofits throughout the Triangle,” she said, referring to the region that includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.
