Black English Bookstore is open and thriving at 401 E Oak Avenue. Owner Gwen Henderson officially opened the doors to the bookstore back in December 2023.
“Black English Bookstore is a women-owned and independently operated bookshop that caters to readers of all ages while elevating black-authored books while also creating space for another women-owned coffee business for patrons along with records being played and a few plants to water,” writes Henderson in an email to That’s So Tampa.
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A new intimate gathering place in the heart of Tampa
The intimate storefront is 738 square feet, but the team packs in plenty of profound literature on the shelves. The inventory adds up to around 1,200 – 1,500 books, puzzles, notecards, art, and more.
“I am determined to amplify voices and pay tribute to our ancestors who were unable to read and write,” writes Henderson. “One of them is Sam Hightower (1860-1932) my great-great grandfather and I will read for him.” 
Find art, books, puzzles and more inside the bookstore
Black English Bookstore is committed to a curated collection of books representing extraordinary voices while elevating a distinct culture and community. Henderson wants customers to feel free to order books and audiobooks from the works of writers who “pen a language identifiable and classified by this bookstore as Black English.”
Follow the bookstore on Facebook, Instagram, and its website, as well as on Bookshop to learn more about what the store offers.
Check out our list of 11 more bookstores you need to visit in Tampa Bay this holiday season. Bookends Ybor, a currently mobile shop, will also open a brick-and-mortar in Ybor City in 2024. 
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