As Kwanzaa approaches, one local bookstore is celebrating by serving its community. 

Alecia Barnes, a Literacy Coach with the Ujamaa Community Bookstore at Flanner House, says Kwanzaa is not meant to be a religious holiday. Instead, it is a cultural holiday created to celebrate community and family. 

Barnes says the Ujamaa Community Bookstore is named after a Swahili word that means cooperative economics. “Our bookstore really focuses on that.” As part of the 126-year-old Flanner House Community Center, the bookstore’s mission is to educate, empower, and uplift the community. 

The Flanner House Community Center, which includes a bodega, farm, and greenhouse, offers services and programming to nearby residents.  

As community members celebrate Kwanzaa from December 26 to January 1, Barnes encourages others to spend time with family, uplift those around them, and celebrate the community. 

As the bookstore and community center grow, Barnes says, “It’s been amazing.”  She looks forward to offering more programming at the bookstore in 2025.