Frederick Douglass Book Center
The Frederick Douglass Book Center served as a bookshop and meeting place for the minorities of New York City. The center contained literature that specialized in African, Afro-American, and Caribbean history and culture. The center remained in Harlem until it was torn down in 1968.[1]
| Named after | Frederick Douglass |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1942 |
| Founder | Richard B. Moore |
| Founded at | Harlem, New York |
| Dissolved | 1968 |
| Coordinates | 40°48′31″N 73°56′50″W |
Owner | Richard B. Moore |
Sales Representative | Lodie M. Biggs |
Founder
The Frederick Douglass Book Center was founded by Richard B. Moore in 1942.[2] Richard B. Moore was a Caribbean activist and businessman who stood for socialism and black nationalism.[1] The Frederick Douglass Center was launched with help from friend and second wife Lodie Biggs.[3] Biggs later went on to become the sales representative of the Center.[4]
Background
Richard B Moore opened the Frederick Douglass Book Center in 1942 on West 125th Street in Harlem, New York.[2] Moore originally attempted to follow the example of George Young, the man who created the first Afro-American book shop in Harlem.[2][4] The initial stock of the center was part of Mr. Moore's own private collection.[4] Most of the books that were located in the center, however, were not for sale. In fact, the Frederick Douglass Book Center was not considered a "store at all".[2] The Center grew into a meeting place of Caribbean activists around the state.[2] These activists shared progressive or socialist political views. They also supported the advancement of the Caribbean economy and independence.[2] These activists included Dr. C. A. Petioni of Trinidad; historian J. A. Rodgers, A. M. Wendell Malliet, W. A. Domingo, and Miss Vivienne Packer of Jamaica; Reginald Pierrepointe, Bishop Reginald G. Barrow and Lionel M. Yard of Barbados; Atty. Hope R. Stevens of Nevis; Dr Gerald A. Spencer of St. Lucia; Arthur E. King of Guyana; and Hodge Kirnon of Montserrat.[2]
The end of the Center
The center was taken down by the state of New York in 1968 for the construction of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building.[4]
References
- "Moore, Richard Benjamin | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- Turner, W. Burghardt (1975). "The Richard B. Moore Collection and Its Collector". Caribbean Studies. 15 (1): 135–145. ISSN 0008-6533. JSTOR 25612681.
- Hurst, Ryan (May 15, 2008). "Richard Benjamin Moore (1893–1978) • BlackPast". BlackPast. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- Moore, Richard Benjamin; Turner, W. Burghardt; Turner, Joyce Moore (1988). Richard B. Moore, Caribbean Militant in Harlem: Collected Writings, 1920–1972. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253312990.