About Talia Whyte

Posts by Talia Whyte:

(Really) Support Black-Owned Bookstores

The racial reckoning currently happening has sparked a huge interest in antiracist literature.  All the best selling lists have been dominated by books by some of the leading antiracist thinkers like Ibram X. Kendi, Ijeoma Oluo, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Angela Davis, James Baldwin, and many others.

There has also been a surge in sales at black-owned bookstores. which is awesome!  It is really tough to run any independent bookstore, especially during a pandemic.  But it is even more difficult for black-owned bookstores namely because of the sheer high expense of running one. Many black entrepreneurs are less likely to get small business loans because of historical discrimination and lack of bank relationships, which makes it harder to get capital to make the business sustainable.  Many of these bookstores are run by people using their own money to support it because they have a deep passion for books and the communities they serve.

I worked in a black-owned bookstore called Jamaicaway Books here in Boston during the last three years it was open.  It was a really great experience for me.  I met a lot of really cool people and learned a lot about bookselling.  There were also surges in sales when a racial incident happened.  But sometimes I felt like some of these sales were pandering, as the purchases were one-off, political statement purchases, as opposed to really supporting Black-owned businesses.

Dear white people: making a one-time purchase in a Black bookstore doesn’t make you “woke,” nor does telling your white friends that you made said purchase “woke” either.

If you really want to support a Black-owned bookstore, think about how you can help them long term.  Many of these bookstores were on the brink of financial disaster and permanently closing just before George Floyd because of COVID-19.  The sudden influx of money will help out to pay any outstanding bills and rent in the short-term.  However, as usual, people will eventually move on from George Floyd and onto the next issue and forget about these bookstores. Many of them will be in the same dire financial position in a few months, especially if COVID-19 continues and there is another major quarantine.

With that said, here are some suggestions for really support Black-owned bookstores:

Commit to buying all your books from Black-owned bookstores: This is the best way to do this.  Opt-out of shopping at Amazon! If the store doesn’t have the book you want, the owner can order it.  Black-owned bookstores don’t just sell “black” books, as is commonly believed.  All bookstores work with distributors who can get any book by any author or topic you need.  Most independent bookstores have websites where you can purchase a book and have it delivered directly to you or ebooks that can be downloaded easily.

Commit to buying something at least once a month:  If all book shoppers made a purchase at least once a month, that could dramatically help all independent bookstore stay afloat and meet their monthly bills and rent.

Join a Membership Club: Many bookstores have a monthly membership club, where patrons can get a book or other perks from the bookstore. It’s a great way to discover books you wouldn’t normally read and expand your horizons.  Income from memberships is dependable and can help out with monthly store expenses.  Also, since COVID-19, many stores host ticketed virtual book readings and discussions, and offer an annual membership fee for those who want access to all events.

Make Book Club Purchases: If you are in a book club, persuade other club members to only buy books from your selected Black-owned bookstore or any independent bookstore.  Or you could offer to purchase the books for all club members from the selected bookstore.  Bookstores can also offer bulk-rate discounts on books, especially if you are a loyal customer!

Buy Gift Cards/Certificates:  Gift card purchases are a great income source for bookstores, and they make great, easy gifts for that book lover in your life.

Bartering/Volunteering: Most independent bookstores, especially Black-owned bookstores, don’t always have the resources or money needed to run their businesses efficiently.  From my experience, many bookstores need help with marketing like building and maintaining a website or creating social media accounts.  They usually don’t have the time to do it or they can’t afford to hire someone else to do it for them. If you see a bookstore needs support in a specific area that you have some expertise in, contact them about providing some volunteer support in that area.  Many stores might be willing to take you up on the offer and compensate you with a free book for your services!

Cycling isn’t Freedom for Everyone

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As I mentioned last week, I have been a cyclist all of my life and enjoyed every minute of it.  However, being a black female cyclist does come with its troubles sometimes.  Sometimes I get stares on the street from people who probably aren’t using to seeing someone who looks like me on a bike. Recently, I had a white guy ask me where I got my fancy, expensive-looking bike.  I told him I bought it at a bike shop.  But then he continued to ask where I really got the bike, implying that I may have either stolen the bike or someone gave it to me.  Apparently, according to this guy, there is no way I could have bought this bike by myself!

And there have been many other microaggressions like this in my life.  But cycling while Black can also have more serious consequences.  According to Bicycling Magazine, Black cyclists are disproportionately pulled over by the police for suspicion or probable cause more often than their white counterparts.  Some Black cyclists get arrested for minor traffic violations.  In June a Black man died in custody after being arrested for cycling without a light!

Cycling has always been seen as a sport for white, privileged men.  Over a hundred years ago, most cycling clubs explicitly banned people of color, women, immigrants, and the poor from joining.  Also, these clubs mainly focused on those who rode bikes by choice, which were usually privileged white dudes.  People of color, immigrants, and women generally had different reasons for cycling, such as for economic and social reasons.  Because of this, cyclists by choice have more power and say over bike policy and infrastructure.

These inequalities can still be seen today.  There are a lot of barriers to getting more people of color on bikes.  One of them is simple; if you don’t see anyone who looks like you on a bike, you don’t think it is something you can do.  Of course, there are other issues, like not living near bike-friendly roads, paths, or green spaces, in addition to the fear of police brutality while riding.  For Black women specifically, the “whole hair issue” can be a deterrent from not wanting to ride a bike.

There have been many Black Lives Matter cycling rides in the last couple of months, and I participated in one last month.  Unfortunately, there also have been police officers using their bikes against protesters.  I only hope this racial reckoning the country is going through now will put more spotlight on how to make cycling more equitable for everyone.

Let’s remember there have always been Black cyclists, including Major Taylor, the first African-American sportsperson to win a World Championship.  And, yes, he was a cyclist a hundred years ago!

Cycling is Freedom

I have always loved cycling ever since my dad bought me my bike when I was a child.  My dad and I used to ride our bikes around Boston on Sunday afternoons and it gave me so much joy.

I continued cycling into adulthood but took more of an interest in running.  I used to run about 30 miles a week up until a couple of years ago when I started to develop arthritis in my right hip.  My doctor strongly recommended that I stop running unless I wanted to get a total hip replacement sooner rather than later.

The doctor told me that I should cycle more not only to compensate for the number of calories I would lose through running, but it is also a low-impact exercise that could help my hip.  Since this pandemic started, I have relied on cycling to get around to do my shopping and other stuff as I am not too comfortable yet using public transportation.  I don’t really consider myself “disabled,” even though I have to use a walking cane to get around sometimes and my arthritis will continue to be a problem for the rest of my life.  Maybe my opinion on this will change as I get older.  But I do appreciate this video that discusses the need for better mobility access and acceptance.

Book Review: Stamped From The Beginning

I read Ibram X. Kendi’s other book, How to be an Antiracist, last spring, and I then started reading Stamped From The Beginning for a book group I will be in this September.  It must have been quite a lot of work for Kendi to write this book, which is a comprehensive evaluation of racist attitudes over 400 years of American history.

I think it’s the perfect book to be reading right now as the country goes through a racial reckoning.  I highly recommend this book to those who want to know the origins of many of the racial problems in our country.

The author argues racism is as American as apple pie or “stamped from the beginning,” and explain why racial disparities continue to persist to this day.  A great deal of the first part of the book focuses on pre-colonial and up until the end of the antebellum era, and the mental aerobics by white people to justify their racism.  Specifically, there is a lot of discussion about the alleged physical and sexual differences between black and white people.  In the book, Kendi talks about the “Jezebel” stereotypes of black women and the “BBC” stereotype of black men.

But the most common anti-Black racist stereotype is that all black people are dangerous, and this is why they had to be “tamed.”  This is why there are so many killings of unarmed Black people on a regular basis.

This is why Trump likes to refer to black protesters like Colin Kaepernick as “thugs,” but police officers who kill Black people are “patriotic.”

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