Black Representation In Children’s Book Is Finding A Voice Through The Miller Family

Durham, NC – There has always been a lack of Black representation in books, especially books geared towards children. This is what the Liberation Station Bookstore and its owners are fighting to change. The Miller family, Victoria Scott-Miller, Duane Miller, and their two sons, Langston and Emerson Miller are quickly improving the representation of Black characters and Black authors throughout the world. What started as a local success story has now turned into a worldwide phenomenon and the family and their business is taking great strides in changing the misconceptions around the world.

Opening in May of 2019, the Miller’s noticed a big barrier when their oldest son, Langston, said he wanted to be an author. “Our oldest son wanted to write books for children, and we took this idea to a local bookstore chain and wanted to know if it would be readily available to publish and circulate. It took us about five hours to find a single book that represented Black characters and that did not sit well with our soul,” Victoria Scott-Miller said. They knew that what their son dreamed of doing would simply not be achieved through the traditional means of publication. So, they decided to open their bookstore.

They started with a small pop-up bookstall that went around to different neighborhoods to spread awareness of black representation in books. “Initially, we wanted to ensure that regardless of access and socio-economic background, you were able to see the books and see what representation looked like. We popped up in neighborhoods that did not have a lot of access to these kinds of books.” Victoria Scott-Miller went on to explain how it initially shocked the communities they traveled to, “it was not the concept that was shocking, but more so the fact that characters could be black. People would say, “I did not know these were available or I did not know that a protagonist or a superhero or a scientist or an artist in books could be black.” It was this misguided notion that the Millers set out to expunge.

These pop-up stalls were a huge success, not only in terms of having Black authors circulated better but also in terms of simply spreading awareness. Following this, the

family decided to open permanent locations in areas that where a Black representation bookstore would not usually be found. They have two permanent locations in Durham, one in Durham Hotel and the other in Duke Gardens. These offer a safe space for children of color to visit and read about characters that look like them and achieve great things, allowing these kids to not only feel represented, but also to be able to dream. These permanent locations are called Black Lit Libraries and they exclusively feature books about Black characters and written by Black authors.

Nothing seems to be capable of slowing this bookstore down. After the pandemic hit, the bookstore took off. “We are thriving. The pandemic, for us, it caused us to grow exponentially.” The pandemic put them in the driving seat and now the bookstore is going international, with a

Black Lit Library opening in South Africa soon. On top of this, Langston has his first children’s book coming out soon. On top of this, they have been able to continue a partnership with the NC Museum of Art, which they started in June of 2020, to increase awareness of black representation in books as well as art. “Our oldest son goes in and looks through the gallery and reads poetry related to the artwork and I follow that up and read stories,” Scott-Miller said.

Through all this, the Miller family has been able to not only spread true awareness throughout the community but have also helped many authors and children witness true representation in books. With events that are constantly hosted online for people to tune in to and a bright future ahead and a community that is supporting them, the revolution that is the Liberation Station Bookstore is charging ahead. The Miller family has created a true spectacle that aims at educating the population of not just the country but also the world, and this is always necessary in the world. What started as a dream of their children has turned into an inspiring business that is empowering people of color all over the world and finally giving children of color the representation they rightly deserve.

For more information, please visit www.liberationstationbookstore.com/.