This Saturday marks the annual National Independent Bookstore Day, and while Wisconsin has hundreds to choose from, the state is home to only three Black-owned bookstores. Here’s a chance to learn a little bit more about the stores for the coming day and how you can support them.
National Independent Bookstore Day on April 25 celebrates your local, non-national shops and the communities that make them thrive. Bookstores often hold special events, have exclusive or limited merchandise and invite authors to speak for the celebration. In Wisconsin, there are an estimated over-200 independent bookstores, but only a small number of them are Black-owned.
Niche Book Bar
Milwaukee’s only Black-owned bookstore fairly recently opened its first storefront. Niche Book Bar has been around for a bit over seven years in a more pop-up style venture with curated selections of books. The store is committed to showcasing Black books that are not solely rooted in trauma and offers a space to kick back with a glass of wine and read.
Cetonia Weston was inspired to open the store after she heard complaints that so many Black bookstores were closing. She has been an avid reader all her life, but wanted to read more for pleasure after she finished school and her son was no longer an infant. She initially wanted to have a place where someone could read and have a glass of wine, but really wanted someone else to do it.
Weston slowly moved from the idea of someone else doing it to her taking on the venture herself. It operated as a pop-up where she gathered data on what people wanted to read. Last April, it officially opened a brick-and-mortar location in Milwaukee’s historical Bronzeville District.
Niche Book Bar wanted to be different in how it highlights books by Black authors. Books rooted in trauma are typically platformed, while other genres do not get the same spotlight. Weston wanted all genres from Black authors to be highlighted instead. Weston herself is an author of the children’s book series “The Misadventures of Toni Macaroni.”
Located at 1937 N. Doctor M.L.K. Jr. Dr. in Milwaukee. Open Wednesday from 3-7 p.m., Thursday and Friday 12-7 p.m. and Saturday 12-5 p.m. Closed Sunday-Tuesday.
Mahogany Gallery & Cultural Center
Racine-based Mahogany Gallery & Cultural Center isn’t technically a bookstore. It’s a central point that highlights, supports and acknowledges Black creatives — so books are a portion of its effort.
Mahogany was started in 2019 by artist Scott Terry. He spent time in the corporate world, teaching and, later, knew that his next move in life would be in the world of arts. Terry originally looked to get out of his house and have a standalone studio to work and focus on his art. He realized that it would make sense and be beneficial for other artists of color to have a space.
It initially launched in Kenosha until a space that used to be a Black gallery in Racine during the ’80s became available in 2020. Terry focuses his efforts on platforming Black art in a way that unapologetically acknowledges the depth of the African Diaspora, both locally and nationally.
Mahogany Gallery & Cultural Center is located at 4122 Washington Ave. in Racine.
Hours are Thursday-Saturday from noon-5 p.m.
(Photo supplied)
Prairie Pages
Prairie Pages is a newly opened bookstore by NFL player James Daniels and his wife, Erin. The two met at the University of Iowa in 2017 and have a deep love for literature.
The two initially had different plans in life, but opening a bookstore was their dream. James was drafted out of the University of Iowa in 2018 to play for the Chicago Bears while Erin pursued her doctorate in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis. The two moved to Sun Prairie in 2022 and married in 2023.
At the time, Erin worked as an occupational therapist while James played for the Pittsburgh Steelers — where he signed in 2022. In 2025, the two decided it was finally time to chase their shared dream of opening an independent bookstore where they could create a space for everyone to connect with books.
Prairie Pages is located at 113 W. Main St. in Sun Prairie.
Its hours are Tuesday-Friday 10-6 p.m., Saturday 9-5 p.m. and Sunday 10-4 p.m.
