In 1976, in the living room of her home, Leothy Miller Owens, a New York school teacher founded Nkiru Books, the first black bookstore in Brooklyn- the second in New York City.

Leothy Miller Owens opened Nkiru Books with a passion for literature and a vision to encourage and educate.

Nkiru Books was an independent black bookstore, a grassroots place regarded as a center of interest for minorities in the community that would eventually grow from the founder’s home to a larger space at 76 St. Marks Place in the Park Slope neighborhood of western Brooklyn.

The bookstore remained at the St. Marks Place location for over a decade.

In 1992, sadly Nkiru Books founder, Leothy Miller Owens passed away.

Following the death of Leothy Miller Owens , her mother Adelaide Miller, begun to oversee the operations of the bookstore from 1992 until 1999.

In 1999 the bookstore experienced financial setbacks and was soon in financial distress. Many credited the financial matters to a larger American book retailer chain that had begun to sell a large selection of African-American interest titles, a category that was previously not plentiful.

~Nkiru Books is Saved By an Investor~

A former part-time employee of Nkiru Books, Talib Kweli Greene who is better known as Talib Kweli in the hip-hop music community; and his childhood friend, Dante Terrell Smith, who is well known by the stage name, Mos Def, came together to invest and purchase the struggling bookstore.

~The Legacy Advances in A New Direction~

In 1998, Talib Kweli and Mos Def (who had also formed a hip-hop music group together, Black Star) hosted a successful fundraiser. The funds raised during the event assisted with the relocation of Nkiru Bookstore in October 2000 to 732 Washington Avenue in the Prospect Heights neighborhood.

The bookstore relocated to a new space and was transformed into a nonprofit organization now known as, Nkiru Center for Education and Culture, Inc.

The organizations first chairperson was Medgar Evers College English professor, Brenda M. Greene while Attorney and Author, Angeli Rasbury served as the executive director. Social Activist and Writer/Editor April R. Silver also served on the board of directors.

Nkiru Center for Education and Culture, Inc. was established to continue the legacy of the former Nkiru Books.

Operated by a small, dedicated staff of employees, interns, and volunteers, Nkiru Center for Education and Culture, Inc. provides a weekly educational or cultural program to the community. Past and future events include literary readings and author signings, spoken word and hip-hop performances, a book club and discussion groups and a story hour.

The organization has since moved from the 732 Washington Avenue location.

To request more information or support Nkiru Center for Education and Culture, Inc. mission and cause, please contact the organization by mail at P.O Box 250117, Brooklyn, New York 11225-0117.