Akbar Watson, the owner of a historic bookstore called Pyramid Books in Boynton Beach, Florida, has been selling books for and about African Americans for about 30 years. However, he says that since George Floyd was killed and "Black Lives Matter" went mainstream, he has sold more books related to racial inequality than ever before!
Nearly three decades ago, Watson started the bookstore from the trunk of his car. He then moved to a brick and mortar shop in Boynton Beach, wherein it is located until now.
Since then, Watson has been selling books from a wide array of categories, but mostly those that highlight the Black culture. He focused more on independent authors and publishers that "weren't being housed at major bookstores."
In his several years in the business, Watson noticed that "people don't necessarily connect black men with reading and books and stuff." However, with the latest issues regarding racial inequality, more people seem to be interested in reading books that address this topic. Watson says that he is receiving hundreds of orders online for books such as The New Jim Crow and Ready for the Revolution.
"We have always been viewed as a problem in American society and that reality that we didn't create is starting to unfold in the face of America as we see it today," Watson told WPTV.
"I know that one book is not going to change the world, but I think it’s a step in the right direction."
For more information about Pyramid Books, visit https://pyramidbooks.indielite.org