When Danielle Moore started Semicolon Books in West Town in 2019, business was slow — until the social justice movement after George Floyd’s murder in May 2020 launched her store into the spotlight as Black businesses and books gained national attention.

But looking back, Moore said that moment was short-lived and many Black-owned bookstores — including her own — are facing challenges with little support.

From getting a shoutout from Oprah to shipping out thousands of online orders, Moore and her team were caught up in the surge in interest in antiracist literature during the summer of 2020. The shop saw excellent customer success that year, which gave way for Moore to donate more of the profits to the community — a value that’s at the core of her business model.

Semicolon Books owner Danielle Moore. (Courtesy of Danielle Moore)

“There are so many homes where these kids don’t even have books in the home to read,” said Moore. “That is why we exist. You can come read in our space and if you want this book, we are going to give it to you free of charge because we believe in that. That may not be a workable business model, but it does work for the community.”

But while money from patrons, corporations, social media and celebrities rolled in, Moore said she struggled with a sense that the movement’s fervor wasn’t all that genuine.

“It was also really busy and really sad because they [customers] would place the order for these books and pay for them and never pick them up,” Moore said. “They had no intention of actually doing the work. They would just screenshot the receipt and put it on their social media to show that they did it. We still have these books from 2020 at our stores right now that customers have not picked up.”

Moore said she began to see the support die down in 2022, when conversations around antiracism were no longer trending and customers sought out discounts and online retailers. Small independent Black-owned brick-and-mortar stores like hers were soon forgotten, which was a heavy hit in an industry where profits margins are tight.

“We’re not getting so many corporate orders in and now they’re going back to Amazon,” said Moore. “Our lifeblood had become corporate orders, bulk orders, because that’s where we have the best margins. The singular orders of people who are getting a couple of books here and there cannot keep the shop afloat based solely on how much we give away to our community. We can’t do both. So we can either not give anything and exist, and I don’t believe in existing that way.”

Sales continued to decline in 2023 and 2024. While the shop maintained a loyal customer base, it was nowhere near the level of support it had in 2020.

On Labor Day in 2024, Moore had her car stolen, along with the checkbook and account information for the business. Her finances got hacked, resulting in a six-figure loss in funds. By that point, she had just opened a store downtown and had to find a way to support two locations.

Moore and her wife took on all of the business’ expenses on their own in hopes that the bank would recover the funds within a couple of months. But when Moore found out in January that it would take up to a year to get the money back, she found herself out of resources to keep the store afloat.

“The six figures that were taken from us, that was our day-to-day,” Moore said. “That was our lifeblood. That’s what kept us safe. We no longer had safety. It was the hardest period of my life because I had given so much.”

Inside Semicolon Books. (Courtesy of Danielle Moore)

After announcing plans to close her shops in January, Moore experienced an outpouring of support from her customers and followers online. Kickstarter reached out to her and helped her raise more than $30,000 to save the store.

The shop is now closed temporarily as construction is underway to add a cafe to the space to increase margins. The store will reopen on Juneteenth.

Moore said she’s not only excited about the big reopening event, but also pursuing a new path forward.

“I am looking forward to having a good time with this,” said Moore. “We might have a DJ and whatnot come through, and then we have our first major book event of the year with Victoria Monet. Who doesn’t want to do that?”

While Moore was able to overcome various struggles with the help of her customer base, she said that’s not the case for many other Black business owners who don’t have a robust support system.

“There’s no reason we should still be here,” said Moore. “Any money that we make, we give 90% of it away and we pay payroll with the rest. We recognize that at any point, we may not exist here anymore because we choose to do the work of community. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of people who give to community in that way.”

Moore said that while the 2020 movement has dissipated, Black bookstores continue to be a lifeblood in the communities they serve, providing a safe space for families without access to literacy.

Moore said love and support are crucial to keeping these businesses afloat.

“Show up,” said Moore. “Everybody gets upset when a Black business closes, but consider the times that you go to another business instead of that Black business. Showing up is the difference-maker. Supporting in ways that are bountiful financially.”

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