Willa’s Books and Vinyl seeks volunteer shifts to keep their doors open

The longest-standing Black-owned bookstore in Kansas City continues its fight to remain a part of this community.

Losing Willa’s Books and Vinyl would not only be a loss of history but also of owner Willa Robinson’s hard work and unique inventory that holds interest for people everywhere. The store specializes in used and rare African-American books, first editions, as well as the works of a wide variety of mainstream authors. With a collection like this, closing the store would be a tragic loss, but it is preventable.

Born from her love of collecting, Willa’s Books and Vinyl has been a place for people to enjoy a rich culture. On the Financial Alley YouTube page, Willa discusses the foundation of the store and how she got started selling the books and vinyl she offers. For vinyl, she was interested in selling the music she enjoys. For books, it started a bit differently. After wanting to sell books to Afrocentric schools and realizing they were lacking in stories including or surrounding the students attending these schools, she wanted to fix that. She started ordering books predominantly written by black authors for the schools and then followed that pattern within her store which allows for more inclusivity in the world of prose.

Willa’s Books and Vinyl is a wealth of knowledge and an important monument in the Kansas City area. Although it is under threat of closing its doors, there is still hope. The Kansas City Defender has partnered with the store to recruit volunteers to help meet its staffing and inventory needs.

If you would like to help, sign up here.