Nikole Hannah-Jones to open a literary salon in Brooklyn in 'tribute to Black writers of all eras and of all forms'

"Hannah-Jones is partnering with Bed-Stuy entrepreneurs Rotimi and Ayo Akinnuoye, the husband-and-wife team behind the neighborhood staples Bed-Vyne Wine, Bed-Vyne Brew, and Bed-Vyne Cocktail, along with DJ Johnson, owner of New Orleans' Baldwin & Co., to open The North Star Books + Bar. The literary salon and bar will take over the former Macon Hardware space at the corner of Macon Street and Marcus Garvey Boulevard."

"Before closing in 2023, Macon Hardware was one of Bed-Stuy's longest-standing Black-owned businesses, a place where residents could grab a wrench and a word of wisdom. Now, the award-winning journalist says she's honored to keep that energy alive and, more importantly, to keep the building Black-owned. In a neighborhood where gentrification has reshaped the landscape and pushed out generations of Black residents, she wanted to create something that restores cultural ownership and honors community history."

Nikole Hannah-Jones is opening The North Star Books + Bar in Bedford-Stuyvesant in partnership with entrepreneurs Rotimi and Ayo Akinnuoye and DJ Johnson. The venue will occupy the former Macon Hardware at Macon Street and Marcus Garvey Boulevard and function as a literary salon and bar hosting major book events and writers. The project aims to center Black bookstores and neighborhoods, preserve Black ownership of a long-standing community building, and restore cultural ownership amid neighborhood gentrification. Programming will bring prominent writers to Bed-Stuy and honor local history while maintaining a community-focused gathering space.

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