Black Lives Always Mattered! Philadelphia’s Historic Literature Legacy

This week on Bridging Philly, we celebrate the pages of Philadelphia’s African American book authors and book sellers. Host and KYW community impact reporter Racquel Williams discusses the legacy of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University with its curator, Dr. Diane Turner, who worked closely with the scholar. She and art director Eric Battle describe the historic contributions of Black Philadelphians in their recent graphic novel, BLAM! Black Lives Always Mattered! Next, children’s book author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow shares how important it is to publish pictures of young, Black Muslim children for kids to see images that look like them. Finally, West Philly’s Hakim’s Bookstore earns a blue historic marker for the distinction of the city’s longest-operating, Black-owned bookshop. Yvonne Blake continues her father’s dream of sharing knowledge.