On the nondescript corner of East Hyde Park Boulevard and South Dorchester Avenue lives a hidden gem. A decorated window showcases books with intricate covers and intriguing titles. Inside, chill music plays in an open, sunlit room with sage green walls and shelves lined with books upon books and twinkling fairy lights. Customers chat with the owner and stream in and out of the long-sought space, their bags full of books.

Call and Response bookstore, which opened on May 4, aims to normalize the stories of people of color and emphasizes the role of independent bookstores in communities. 

Owner Courtney Bledsoe says her own identity and her love of literature have been inspirations when creating a bookstore that works to provide Black authors with a platform. She chose the name “Call and Response” in honor of African diasporic traditions of call and response, where a storyteller tells a story and the audience responds.

“I’ve been really passionate, in particular, about sharing and amplifying literature by Black and other people of color, especially because I think the publishing industry still is not necessarily providing them with the same types of platforms that other authors are getting,” Ms. Bledsoe said, “so I wanted to have a dedicated space for that kind of conversation.”

By focusing on the work of Black, Indigenous and authors of color, voices and cultures that are typically not accurately represented by the media can be uplifted.

“I think it’s also about how we can normalize stories of people of color, right?” Ms. Bledsoe said. “A lot of the time, people find themselves feeling like their stories are kind of pushed off to the margins and not made to feel as important.”

Tamara Rutledge, an author and employee at Call and Response, said that as a kid in the Young Adult section, they would have loved a place like Call and Response, a sentiment they said customers have also shared.

“Looking at the YA section now, I would have lost my mind if I saw those books when I was a kid. Like, all these Black girls on the cover, going on cool fantasy adventures with dragons,” they said. 

Layla Patrick, a seventh grader and a first-time customer at Call and Response, appreciates that the focus of the bookstore are stories by people of color.

“Because I’m Black, it is nice to see Black owners and the collections that they give, because I feel like at other bookstores or libraries, they don’t have very diverse book sections,” Layla said. “Walking around this one, I see a lot of Black, Asian, Hispanic stories, and I think that’s really cool.”

Chicago has many residents that identify as people of color, but Ms. Bledsoe believes Hyde Park’s community is exceptionally unique. Trivia nights, book clubs, author talks and personal conversations allow the bookstore to connect with its neighborhood, which is 54% people of color, according to the 2020 census.

“Having not only a bookstore here in the city of Chicago, but in an area like Hyde Park that is just really diverse, with Black and Brown people in it, makes this place feel representative to a large group of people,” Ms. Bledsoe said.

Since there are 2,185 independent bookstores in the nation, and only 7% of them are Black-owned, recommendations by people working at the bookstores can give customers what they are looking for.

“Amazon or other big box retailers, a lot of their recommendations for people are driven by algorithms, right?” Ms. Bledsoe said. “So a lot of times people, especially right now, are maybe not necessarily avid readers, but they’re looking to get back into reading. So it’s really nice to be able to help people personally and give recommendations.” 

Ytasha Womack, a Black author and a recurring customer at Call and Response, said she likes how Call and Response allows people to shift from the solo-activity of reading to a shared, communal experience.

“At Call and Response, they certainly create a space where people can feel comfortable asking about books,” Ms. Womack said. “That spirit of a bookstore is just really beautiful.”

This story was originally published on U-High Midway on October 23, 2024.