KC Defender invests in Black-owned bookstore’s legacy, keeping its story alive as media startup’s new HQ

By Tommy Felts | July 15, 2025

Missouri’s oldest-operating Black-owned bookstore is set to evolve into a public archive, programming venue, and the new headquarters for The Kansas City Defender — a bittersweet turn of the page for a space marked by resilience and community action, organizers said. Willa’s Books and Vinyl, 5547 Troost Ave., has long stood as a sanctuary of Black…

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