How has Baldwin & Co. changed since 2021?
We’ve evolved from being a bookstore into a cultural production company. We host events, and I think of us now as an intellectual commons. Instead of being just a retailer, we are a thinking institution. Instead of being just a small business, we are a cultural authority generating intellectual desire for Black contemporary thought.
What inspired you to create what you describe as an “intellectual ecosystem” built on “community, commerce, conversation, and culture?”
It’s so important for Black people to be literate, to become lovers of literature to defeat the oppressive systems designed to keep Blacks ignorant. Like Nelson Mandela said, the most powerful weapon in the world is education, not a gun, not a bomb. And there’s no better way to become educated than to read. Black people have to become more educated, more focused, and more driven. Our survival depends upon it. Because I can tell you this: White supremacy never sleeps. It never stops. It is relentless, working overtime to keep us oppressed.
What’s next for Baldwin & Co.?
I would like us to become a cultural production company for intellectual desire, not just a place that hosts events. We’re producing cinematic conversations—essays in video form and long-form dialogues that feel closer to philosophy salons. We want to be the place where, when you desire intellectual stimulation and want to know what you should be paying attention to, the answer includes Baldwin & Co.
