Black Stone Bookstore & Cultural Center

With the African American book selection at local retailers being slim-to-none, Michigan locals Carlos Franklin and Kip Johnson opened their own independent bookstore in 2013. Today, as the name implies, Black Stone Bookstore & Cultural Center is more than a bookstore; it’s a cultural hub. The curated collection spans many genres and topics including African-American culture and African culture, religion, and urban fiction. But the most significant thing about the store? It has grown its own loving and supportive community.