Black-Owned Bookstore To Host First-Ever 'Voices Of Harlem' Gala

HARLEM, NY — Sister's Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center will celebrate Harlem's literary and cultural legacy this fall with its inaugural Voices of Harlem Gala, a fundraiser aimed at supporting the longtime Black-owned bookstore and its community programming.

The gala is set for Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive.

Sister's Uptown, founded in Harlem in 2000, said proceeds from the event will support its literacy initiatives, cultural preservation efforts and other community programs.

Janifer Wilson opened Sister's Uptown Bookstore in January 2000 with a focus on books reflecting Black history, life and achievement. She expanded the operation in 2007 with the Sister's Uptown Cultural Center, which hosts book clubs, workshops, and readings, and supports local writers and artists by carrying their work in the shop, among other things.

However, last July, Wilson told Patch that book sales and foot traffic had slowly declined, and the independent store had fallen five months behind on rent and was at risk of closing unless she could reach more customers and raise the funds to stay afloat.

"I just feel like the legacy that has been built can't go away, because it's not about Janifer Wilson, it's about the community," Wilson told Patch at the time, adding that she doesn't take a salary from her job — all of her profits go straight back into the bookstore.

Organizers describe Sister's Uptown as Harlem's longest-standing Black-owned bookstore.

"This is a labor of love for me," Wilson said.

The gala is slated to include dinner catered by Harlem restaurant Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too, live entertainment and a celebration of four honorees whose work spans literature, education, entrepreneurship and community service.

This year's honorees are Herb Boyd, an author, community activist and Amsterdam News columnist; Dawn Harris-Martine, a Harlem educator and owner of Grandma's Place; Wade and Cheryl Hudson, founders of Black children's book publisher Just Us Books; and Yvonne Stennett, executive director of the Community League of the Heights.

Tickets, starting at $75, are available here.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.