Visitors from all over Southern California lined down the block to patronize Pasadena’s newest bookstore dedicated to Black, Indigenous and people of color — Octavia’s Bookshelf.
Overjoyed owner Nikki High teared up as a collective crowd of more than 300 people stopped to celebrate her dream.
“I am feeling deep gratitude,” she said. “I saw the line outside and, you know, in my wildest dreams, I was like, ‘Oh, gosh, I hope that I can get like 20 or 30 people to be really excited,’ and so to see it like this is a little bit overwhelming.”
“I’m missing my grandmother so hard right now,” High added.
An avid reader, High contemplated opening her own bookstore for years, but the final push came with the sudden passing of High’s grandmother and biggest supporter. In acknowledgement of this, speaker Joshua Evans, kicked off the event by paying homage to family and resiliency.
For Evans, Octavia’s Bookshelf is a symbol of progression and possibility — a space that he would have frequented as a kid.
“One of things that I personally believe is that there’s a story about Black and Brown people that is bigger than the impact of White supremacy,” Evans said looking down the line of people. “It’s a dream come true that I didn’t know that I had … it just gives people a chance to like to come in, but also to develop and to meet other writers. And you always know it’s going to be a safe space. We’ll never be in danger of being minimalized or railroaded by people who are not sensitive.”
At its peak, the cue to get into the North Hill Avenue store spanned more than 10 blocks, reaching as far back as Victory Bible Church. Inside the space next to the bookstore, patrons could stop to drink complimentary coffee provided by Coffee Cart Boys, eat pasties by Butter Bakery or pick from a charcuterie spread provided by La Mesa Collective.
Despite the wait, the energy remained positive with excited smiles throughout the crowd. In a strong…
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