Baltimore bookstore owner Tia Hamilton is refusing to back down. As the founder of Urban Reads, a beloved Black-owned community bookstore in the city’s Waverly neighborhood, Hamilton has been the target of an ongoing campaign of racist threats—yet she remains resolute, defending her space and the broader Black community it serves.
Since February, Hamilton has received hundreds of phone calls, texts, and social media messages filled with hate and threats. Many of the messages appear to originate from out of state, including Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Arizona, California, New York, and Pennsylvania.
“These were the initial threats that came to my phone,” Hamilton told WMAR2 News, sharing how she’s forwarded more than 500 pieces of evidence to local law enforcement, the FBI, and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown’s office. “I just got off the phone with Attorney General Brown’s office. They got more messages from me because I’m getting them every day. As we talk right now, they are in my inbox.”
A Stand Against Hate
Rather than retreat, Hamilton has made the threats public—posting the profiles of those harassing her and using her platform to raise awareness.
“I couldn’t believe it was to this magnitude,” she said. “I’m used to saving everybody else, right? Now I gotta save myself.”
But Hamilton’s stand isn’t just personal. She views the fight as a community battle.
“Baltimore don’t stand no bullies,” she declared. “We have to come out hard and be here and be strong for all of our community members, especially the most vulnerable. And Black women are always the most vulnerable—we have to protect them.”
More Than a Bookstore
Urban Reads is far more than a retail space. It’s a community hub, Hamilton explained. The bookstore hosts book signings, youth events, literacy programs, and serves as a safe meeting place for Baltimore residents.
“Protect my store because my store is your store,” she urged. “It’s just not protecting me. It’s protecting Urban Reads and protecting what we love in the Waverly community.”
For the past five years, the store had not experienced any major conflicts—until now. Hamilton said the surge in online harassment only started after she took a firm stance against hate.
How to Support
Hamilton is asking supporters to stand with her by:
- Buying books from Urban Reads
- Donating to her literacy programs
- Speaking out against hate and protecting neighborhood safe spaces
“This is a dope environment. We here, we don’t bother nobody,” Hamilton said. “It’s a community problem because the community not having it.”
As racial tensions and attacks on Black-owned businesses continue across the country, Hamilton’s resilience offers a powerful reminder: resistance is rooted in community, and protecting Black spaces is protecting the future.
For more information on how to support, follow @urbanreadsbookstore on Instagram or visit the Waverly location in Baltimore.
