Once in danger of closing its doors, Philadelphia’s oldest Black bookstore’s legacy is now historically marked

When I first walked into Hakim’s Bookstore in 2015, the landmark West Philadelphia shop was in danger of closing for good.

So it felt near miraculous to return to Philadelphia’s oldest Black bookstore recently as owner Yvonne Blake prepared to celebrate the installation of an official state historical marker in its honor.

A lot happened in the ensuing years, but through ups and downs, Hakim’s still stands, as much a part of our city’s present as its past. And hopefully, its future.

“It is necessary,” Blake said of the family store.

Eight years ago, however, it didn’t feel that way. The weight of trying to salvage the shop hung over Blake as she and I sat in her back office talking about its uncertain prospects.

She had promised her father she’d keep the bookstore open, she told me then. But she was no longer sure that was a promise she could keep.

The bookstore, founded in 1959 by her late father, Dawud Hakim, has been a staple on the historically Black-owned 52nd Street business corridor.

Hakim, who died in 1997, was still working for the post office when he read J.A. Rogers’ 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro and became determined to show his community its greatness through books about its contributions in every aspect of life.

Just as the blue and yellow marker outside the shop reads, Hakim’s served as “a civil rights and activism gathering place,” where Black education and empowerment were cultivated through thought-provoking literature that covered the African diaspora.

But when I visited in 2015, Blake — who had just left a full-time job and was caring for her ailing mother — was desperately trying to shepherd the store on her own.

She feared growing challenges, including a changing book business landscape, would mean the end to her family’s bookstore and her father’s legacy.

And after meeting with her, I couldn’t just stand by and let that happen. Not without a fight. So I implored readers to help save the bookstore and, in the process, a vital part of Philadelphia history.

The response was immediate and incredible and reinforced my belief that when Philadelphia throws its support behind its sacred spaces, anything is possible.

“I’ve never been someone who could ask for help,” Blake said. “But people just showed up and reached out and wanted to help any way they could.”

Supporters from all over Philadelphia and the country called and wrote, eager not only to share memories about her father and the bookstore — but also to buy books. Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of the Philly hip-hop group The Roots shared the column on social media, urging people to #savehakims.

One supporter, Christopher Arnold, walked into the bookstore in 2016 and stayed on as a do-it-all volunteer focusing on community engagement.

“I was a native Philadelphian, and I had never heard of the store,” Arnold recalled during my most recent visit. “To find out that there was a bookstore with the kinds of materials that were not included in my formal education made me want to know what I was missing.”

He wasn’t alone. Through a pandemic that shuttered other small businesses, civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd by police, and current right-wing campaigns to ban books about Black history, Hakim’s has once again become a center of education and empowerment.

“It’s amazing to think that here we are, 64 years later, fighting some of the same battles my father fought right here,” Blake said.

Looking around the bookstore on a recent afternoon, it was clear that her father’s influence and impact are still everywhere, from the photos of Black leaders on the walls to the books on the shelves that range from Islamic culture to holistic health.

And it was humbling to be a part of that history, memorialized by a framed copy on the wall of the original column from all those years ago.

It was also clear that despite the rain Saturday — when a crowd of about 100 people gathered to pay tribute to Dawud Hakim and the space he built — Philadelphia’s oldest Black bookstore has permanently staked its rightful place in the hearts and history of our city.

It’s up to us to keep it going for generations to come. Go check out the historical marker, then stop in and support one of our city’s treasures. And keep supporting it.