KC’s oldest Black-owned bookstore is closing. But owner’s mission will continue
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- Willa Robinson is retiring at 84, closing Missouri’s oldest Black-owned bookstore.
- The Kansas City Defender will convert the space into a community archive and hub.
- Collection includes rare first editions and will be freely accessible to public.
Willa Robinson has been selling rare and antique books written by Black authors since the ‘90s.
She started selling her books on the streets of the buzzing 18th & Vine District, then opened the first Willa’s Books & Vinyl storefront in 2007. In an interview Wednesday, Robinson told The Star her mission at the time was simple: help the Black community (specifically Black boys) see themselves represented in literature.
“You never saw Black kids in books,” Robinson said over the phone. “I’ve been collecting books for years, since 1978, and very few of the books had Black children in it.”
Today she’s amassed 20,000 titles and owns the oldest Black-owned bookstore in Missouri.
But as she ages, it’s been increasingly difficult for her to manage the shop. So, at the encouragement of friends and family, the 84-year-old Robinson has made the difficult decision to close after her retirement party this weekend.
The good news: Robinson is passing along her antique collection, storefront and mission.
Black community and media organization The Kansas City Defender will take over the space at 5547 Troost Ave. and turn it into a community space and public archive.
Rather than buying from the bookstore, community members can come and access Robinson’s books inside the space for free. Some specialty items from Robinson’s collection include first editions from Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright and more.
Robinson said her books, more so than ones about white characters, resonate with Black readers.
“You have to have books that kids are interested in,” Robinson said. “Because as a young girl, I didn’t read the classics … and I think young Black boys don’t identify with them because it’s not about them.”
Defender founder and executive editor Ryan Sorrell said he’s honored to carry on Robinson’s legacy. The space’s new name, which will also function as The Defender’s headquarters, has yet to be determined.
“I think it’s just really powerful that she trusts us with our legacy, and that she sees the value in passing the torch,” Sorrell said. “Really it’s an investment in the future of the freedom struggle in Kansas City.”
Sorrell pointed out that several Missouri school districts have faced waves of book bans. Efforts by conservative parents at North Kansas City School District receiving national attention after petitioning to remove such books like Black and LGBT memoir “All Boys Aren’t Blue” from the shelves.
Sorrell sees this space as a pushback against those right-wing movements.
“When we talk about the erasure that’s currently happening with Black education, of Black books, there’s just no better place to intervene than the oldest and longest standing Black bookstore in the state,” he said.
The space will also host The Defender’s B-REAL Academy (Black Radical Education for Abolition and Liberation), which teaches students of all generations about Black history and community organization.
“I think we’ve already done a lot to spark the resurgence of the radical Black press, and we have received national acknowledgment for that,” Sorrell said. “And I think this is really just the next step.”
History of Willa’s Books in KC
Most of the books Robinson sells are from her own personal collection built by rummaging dozens of antique stores over several decades.
“These are books that you can’t go to Barnes & Noble and get,” Robinson said. “You can’t even order them on Amazon.”
While Robinson has seen massive community support for her store over the years, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
Her original shop at 5535 Troost Ave. lasted until 2012, after her former partner pulled out of the business and finances proved difficult.
Three years later, she reopened at 1734 E. 63rd St. But in 2021, Willa’s was forced to move out of that location after new owners took over the building.
Honoring Black business’s legacy
Several months ago, The Defender stepped in and helped Robinson pay her expenses after a rent hike threatened to shut Willa’s current location down.
Those difficulties aside, Robinson conceded that she’s finding the decision to retire difficult. It’s strange to think about leaving behind a project she’s been working on for so long.
“I love selling books,” Robinson said. “I would find just beautifully rare books that I didn’t know about, and I’m able to talk to people about that. So I will miss all of that.”
Robinson’s retirement party is at Willa’s on Saturday, from 2 to 8 p.m. The Defender is currently fundraising $500,000 to transform the space into their headquarters. While they don’t have a link for donations set up just yet, Sorrell said they can contact them directly at khadijah@kansascitydefender.com.
Asked if there’s anything else she’d like to say to the community, Robinson paused.
“I just hope people will continue to read.”