In January 2021, sisters Gabrielle and Danielle Davenport turned their lifelong passions for food and literature into a pioneering venture: BEM Books & More, the first Black-owned food-focused bookstore.
According to a report by Andscape, inspired by their shared family experiences, particularly in their grandmother’s kitchen, the Brooklyn-based store celebrates Black foodways through literature and aims to build a community centered on the culinary traditions of Black culture.
The sisters’ journey began in their childhood, shaped by the flavors of deviled eggs made with unique ingredients like capers and cayenne pepper, and by stories from their grandmother’s bookshelf.
As they grew older, their love for food and books evolved into a mission to highlight literature that honors Black culinary practices.
“Family legacy has everything to do with what we’re doing,” Danielle explains, noting that BEM’s name combines the names of their grandmothers.
Initially launched as an online bookstore, BEM Books & More quickly gained traction through pop-up shops in Brooklyn. The store features works like Ghetto Gastro’s Black Power Kitchen and children’s literature celebrating family food traditions.
In March 2024, the sisters raised enough funds through Kickstarter to secure a lease for their first brick-and-mortar location in Brooklyn, set to open by the end of the year.
The Davenports see their bookstore as a site of community care and cultural preservation.
“Modern food culture, with its emphasis on convenience, threatens to erode our sacred food traditions,” says author Gabriele Davis, whose work is featured at BEM. “Spaces like this help us reclaim the intellectual, emotional, and physical nourishment they provide.”
Gabrielle and Danielle also recognize the bookstore’s broader role in uplifting Black women, who have historically been the backbone of American food culture.
“The feeding of this country has been Black women’s work from the very start, yet we are the ones who have gotten the least recognition,” Gabrielle reflects. “It feels special to recenter the idea that the ways Americans eat from coast to coast have truly been defined by Black women.”
As they prepare to open their storefront, the Davenport sisters continue to strengthen community ties.
“There’s something really special about how we’re able to shape this as entrepreneurs enmeshed in a beautiful sense of community,” Danielle notes. “Black women have made all of this possible, and we are truly grateful.”
