Tag: Cori Smith

BLK + BRWN owner calls on funders to co-author bookstore’s story of activism for silenced narratives

By Tommy Felts / September 21, 2024

A recently launched crowdfunding campaign to help BLK + BRWN make rent could mean the difference between access and censorship for the community served by the indie bookstore, said Cori Smith. “This is my flavor of activism,” Smith said of BLK + BRWN, the 39th Street business she describes as both a passion project and…

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$30K grand prize: Sisters embrace vegan comfort eats potential with Mattie’s Food’s big win

By Tommy Felts / March 16, 2024

Arvelisha Woods and India Monique plan to use their grand prize winnings from Friday’s We Are Black pitch competition to invest in the community’s health, they said. Mattie’s Foods won $30,000 in the second annual G.I.F.T. event, which saw 10 Black-owned businesses vying for funding to fuel their business dreams. The winning co-founders of the…

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Derecka Purnell

Two Black, women-owned bookstores open conversation on police abolition; Why this UMKC alumna says it could reduce gun violence in KC

By Tommy Felts / June 2, 2022

Two of Kansas City’s newest Black-, woman-owned bookshops are teaming up to host Derecka Purnell — human rights lawyer, author and University of Missouri-Kansas City alumna — for a community discussion on police abolition and eliminating harm.  Aya Coffee + Books and BLK + BRWN are presenting “Community Book Chat with Derecka Purnell” 6:30 p.m.…

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Cori Smith, BLK + BRWN

BLK + BRWN debuts KC’s first smart bookstore with a twist: ‘I wanted to be as Black as possible’

By Tommy Felts / August 5, 2021

Kansas City’s newest Black woman-owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore in Midtown has opened its doors, but customers shouldn’t judge the operation by its cover, owner Cori Smith said, revealing an additional first for the metro that has heads and pages turning.   “There’s a technological aspect paired with each book,” explained Smith, owner of BLK + BRWN — Kansas…

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