These Sisters Built a Bookstore for Black Food and Stories: The BEM Books & More Journey

In this episode I sit down with Danielle and Gabrielle Davenport — the sister duo behind BEM Books & More, a groundbreaking Black-owned bookstore that celebrates the intersection of Black food, literature, and diaspora stories.We dive deep into how their family’s food traditions and storytelling shaped the vision for BEM — a space dedicated to cookbooks by Black authors, memoirs, historical texts, and fiction that honor Black culinary history and the richness of diasporic voices. Danielle and Gabrielle share how growing up in a home where food and identity were inseparable sparked their mission to amplify stories from across the African diaspora through books and community.They take us behind the scenes of building BEM from scratch — recognizing the need for a bookstore centered on Black food literature, launching as a pop-up, rallying support through fundraising, and now preparing to open their first brick-and-mortar location. Along the way, they drop insights on entrepreneurship, community-building, and why making space for Black diaspora stories is essential for preserving culture and inspiring future generations.If you care about food, culture, literature, or Black entrepreneurship, this conversation shows how storytelling feeds both mind and spirit — on the plate and on the page.Tune in to hear how Danielle and Gabrielle are creating a home for Black food stories, nurturing a community, and reimagining what a Black-owned bookstore can be today.Follow BEM on Instagram @BEMbrooklynFollow us on Instagram @dishinupdiasporapodcast @chefemme_