Monthly Archives: December 2007

The newest kid on Birmingham’s book selling block is Malcolm’s Reading Room (404 17^th St. North) located in the ground level of the historic Masonic Temple building off of 4^th Avenue North. Malcolm’s Reading Room is billed as an African-American bookstore – the banners, t-shirts and colors make obvious after stepping through the door. But after spending a few short minutes with co-owner Simone Snelling, one gets the feeling that the store is about something more… passion.

A passion for all things revolutionary and thought provoking.

“We’re going to focus on books about African-Americans and by African-Americans, ” said Snelling. “But we’re also going to offer books on the women’s rights [movement], the Middle East, Che Guevara, music by independent musicians and art by local independent artists. Really, we’re looking for revolutionary things.”

Snelling says she and her husband, co-owner Courtney Snelling, always had the dream of opening a bookstore when they finally got their big break about a year ago.

“My husband was visiting Chicago, which is where he’s from,” said Snelling. “He ran across a going-out-of-business sale at a bookstore and that’s where our first big section of books came from.” She said that first haul netted the couple nearly 500 books and they haven’t looked back since.

Continue reading →