By Noah Sanders, Founder of The Newark Chronicle
Walk into Source of Knowledge Bookstore at 867 Broad Street in downtown Newark and you will understand in about ten seconds why it has lasted more than 25 years.
This is not just a bookstore. It is a Black cultural hub — shelves of books by Black authors, a children's section built so Black kids can see themselves on the page, African art, drums, Shona stone sculptures, and dresses by Amadou fashions. The staff knows the books. The regulars know each other. People come in for one book and leave with three and a conversation.
The store is African-Caribbean and family-owned. Dexter, the store's proprietor, tells parents straight: there is no excuse for not putting Black books in Black children's hands — hundreds of titles exist now, and the kids deserve to see their ancestors, their culture, and their achievements reflected on the page.
And the owner, Miss Masani, will tell you the store is not really a private business at all. She calls it a community-owned institution — owned in the real sense by the neighbors and the young people it serves. The store works with the city's Office of Violence Prevention, bringing children in to work in the shop — getting them off their phones and into a room full of books.
That is what makes Source of Knowledge different. It is a store, yes. But it is also a classroom, a gathering place, and a safe haven for youth. A place where Newark's stories live on shelves.
Go see it for yourself:
Source of Knowledge Bookstore
867 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
sourceofknowledgebookstore.com
Open Monday–Saturday 10 AM–6 PM, Sunday 10 AM–5 PM
Tell them The Newark Chronicle sent you.
The Newark Chronicle covers Newark news, housing help, jobs, culture, and community. Got a story or a tip? Email thenewarkchronicle@gmail.com.
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