IN A RECENT VIRTUALGATE GATHERIN
THEY HAD THE SURPRISE OF A
LIFETIME BY A FORMER PRESIDENT.
FOR RAMUNDA AND DEREK YOUNG,
PASSION BEGINS IN THE PAGES OF
BOOKS.
>> MAHOGANY BOOKS CELEBRATES
BLACK BOOKS.
BOOKS WRITTEN FOR, ABOUT, AND
BY.
>> Reporter: MAHOGANY BOOKS WAS
NAMED AFTER THEIR DAUGHTER,
BEGINNING ONLINE IN 2007.
TEN YEARS LATER, THEY OPENED
THEIR FIRST STORE IN SOUTHEAST
D.C., OFFERING A VAST RANGE OF
BOOKS THAT CELEBRATE ALL ASPECTS
OF BLACK CULTURE AND COMMUNITY.
>> WE THOUGHT, THIS COMMUNITY
DESERVES THIS BOOKSTORE.
ANY BOOKSTORE, TO BE HONEST.
IT’S PART OF AMERICAN LIFE, TO
HAVE ACCESS TO BOOKS.
IT WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO US.
I’M FROM OKLAHOMA.
WHEN I GREW UP, I DIDN’T HAVE
THAT MANY BOOKS, ACCESS TO BLACK
BOOKS.
>> Reporter: I AM IMAGINING YOU
AS A LITTLE GIRL AT SCHOOL, AND
LOOKING FOR CHARACTERS THAT LOOK
LIKE YOU, THAT GO THROUGH THE
SAME THINGS.
I WONDER WHY YOU THINK
REPRESENTATION MATTERS SO VERY
MUCH.
>> THERE’S SO MANY INTRINSIC
VALUES OF WHY SEEING OURSELVES
IN BOOKS REALLY MATTER.
IT MATTERS FROM ACHIEVEMENT.
IT MATTERS FOR CAREERS,
EVERYTHING.
IT SHOWS YOU WHAT’S POSSIBLE.
A GENTLEMAN CAME TO OUR DOOR,
MAYBE 65ISH OR SO,
AFRICAN-AMERICAN GENTLEMAN, AND
HE STOOD AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE
STORE, AND TEARS STARTED COMING
DOWN HIS FACE.
MY HUSBAND SAID, SIR, IS
EVERYTHING OKAY?
WHAT’S GOING ON?
HE’S JUST KIND OF SLOWLY EKED
OUT.
HE SAID, I’VE NEVER SEEN THIS
MANY BLACK BOOKS IN MY ENTIRE
LIFE.
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE HERE FOR.
WHEW, I SEE YOU, JENNA, WIPING
YOUR EYES.
I’M TRYING NOT TO MESS UP MY MAS
DARA
MASCARA GOING ON.
>> Reporter: OKAY, LET ME GET
MYSELF TOGETHER.
FOR THE YOUNGS, IT’S ALWAYS BEEN
ABOUT MORE THAN JUST SELLING
BOOKS.
>> WHEN LITTLE KIDS COME IN, OR
A YOUNG GUY IS TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT HE WANTS TO DO WITH HIS
LIFE, HE TALKS ABOUT HIM BEING
INTERESTED IN BUSINESS, I JUST
GIVE HIM A BOOK.
HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I WANT YOU
TO TAKE THESE TWO BUSINESS
BOOKS.
COME BACK AND TALK TO ME.
>> Reporter: MAHOGANY BOOKS IS
ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY AND
CONVERSATION AND CONNECTION.
THEY COMBINED ALL THREE WHEN
THEY FOUNDED THEIR MONTHLY BOOK
CLUB.
>> DOESN’T MATTER IF IT’S A BEST
SELLER OR NOT, IF IT’S NEW OR
NOT.
WE JUST WANT TO HAVE LIVELY
CONVERSATION.
WE WANT EVERYONE TO COME IN AND
SPEAK THEIR PIECE, OR IF THEY
WANT TO SIT BACK AND LISTEN.
>> Reporter: WHEN THE PANDEMIC
HIT, THEY HAD TO PUT THEIR BOOK
CLUB MEETINGS ON PAUSE, UNTIL
LAST WEEK, WHEN A CERTAIN AUTHOR
SURPRISED THEM AND DROPPED IN ON
THEIR VIRTUAL MEETING.
>> WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE’LL
BRING ON OUR SPECIAL GUEST
TODAY.
>> HEY, EVERYBODY!
>> HI, MR. PRESIDENT.
>> I WANTED TO COME ON HERE
BECAUSE I THOUGHT, WELL, LET’S
SEE IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO
SUPPORT OUR OUTSTANDING
AFRICAN-AMERICAN INDEPENDENT
BOOKSTORES.
>> YES.
>> I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SEE WHO
THE BROTHERS WERE WHO NAMED
THEMSELVES THE VERY SMART
BROTHERS BOOK CLUB.
>> Reporter: THIS MONTH’S BOOK,
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S "A PROMISED
LAND."
LIKE ANY GOOD BOOK CLUB, THEY
CONVERSATION WENT BEYOND THE
BOOK.
>> HOW DID YOU MAINTAIN THE
BELIEF IN OUR NATION’S HIGHEST
IDEALS AND GOALS AND NOT FALL
INTO THE CYNICISM THAT A LOT OF
US TEND TO HAVE?
>> THE TRICK IS, TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE THAT KIND OF LONG-TERM
PERSPECTIVE, BUT STILL FEEL THE
URGENCY OF NOW, AS DR. KING
WROTE ABOUT.
WHAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU
SEE A GEORGE FLOYD OR AN ERIC
GARNER, THAT’S TERRIBLE.
THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU ANGRY.
YOU CAN’T JUST KIND OF SAY,
WELL, IT’LL TAKE TIME.
TRYING TO KEEP THOSE TWO THINGS
IN MIND AT THE SAME TIME, I
THINK, IS THE BIGGEST TRICK.
>> SURE.
>> NOT JUST BEING PRESIDENT, BUT
BEING A FUNCTIONING BLACK PERSON
IN AMERICA.
>> Reporter: AND EVERYONE WANTED
TO KNOW ABOUT THE FORMER FIRST
LADY
LADY, BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT
AFTER THAT INAUGURATION LOOK.
>> I REALLY WANT TO ASK YOU
ABOUT HOW YOU FELT WITH MICHELLE
COMING DOWN AT THE INAUGURATION. >> I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT
>> I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT
Y’ALL WITH MICHELLE ANDBELTS.
I ASKED MICHELLE ABOUT IT AT
DINNER THE OTHER NIGHT, LISTEN,
BABY, YOU ARE GORGEOUS.
YOU KNOW I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY
WHY YOU ARE A FASHION ICON.
I DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER.
OTHER THAN JUST KNOWING SHE
LOOKED GOOD AND LOOKS BETTER
THAN ME.
I UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> WHAT DID THE LITTLE GIRL FROM
OKLAHOMA, WHO COULDN’T SEE
HERSELF IN BOOKS, WHO DIDN’T
HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE BOOKS,
THINK WHEN THE FIRST BLACK
PRESIDENT JOINED HER BOOK CLUB
DISCUSSION?
>> JENNA, THERE ARE NO WORDS.
IT WAS JUST HUMBLING.
I DO THINK OF MY ROOTS.
I ZODO THINK OF MY PARENTS, MY
DAD, WHO ONLY WENT TO THE THIRD
GRADE, WHO HAS HIS DAUGHTER
HERE.
OR ANCESTORS WHO WERE KILLED FOR
READING.
HERE WE ARE, CELEBRATING BLACK
BOOKS TO THIS DAY, AND TO DO IT
FREELY AND HONORABLY, THAT’S A
FULL CIRCLE MOMENT FOR US.
>> PRESIDENT OBAMA LEARNED ABOUT
MAHOGANY BOOKS AND THEIR
OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY.
HIS TEAM WAS THE ONE THAT TOLD
US ABOUT HIS RECENT VIRTUAL
VISIT.
I HAVE SUCH GOOD NEWS FOR ANYONE
IN D.C., I CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE A
TRIP WHEN IT IS SAFE, MAHOGANY
BOOKS IS OPENING THEIR SECOND
LOCATION THERE THIS SUMMER.
>> FANTASTIC.
>> TERRIFIC.
>> I KNOW, I’M SO THRILLED.
>> SO MANY BOOKSTORES ARE
STRUGGLING, BUT MAHOGANY BOOKS
SEEMS TO BE DOING OKAY?
>> WELL, A LOT OF BOOKSTORES ARE
STRUGGLING, BUT THEY READJUSTED
REALLY FAST.
THEY HAD THEIR ONLINE BUSINESS
OPEN SINCE 2007.
THEY SPRUGNG INTO ACTION AND
SHIPPED BOOKS WHERE THEY NEEDED
TO GO.
THEY KEPT UP WITH COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT, LIKE VIRTUAL EVENTS
LIKE THE ONE WITH PRESIDENT
OBAMA.
THEY ALSO HAVE CHILDREN’S BOOKS.
THEY’RE A RESOURCE FOR A LOT OF
PARENTS WHO ARE HOMESCHOOLING OR
TEACHING KIDS FROM HOME, WHO ARE
LOOKING TO KEEP THEIR KIDS
READING.
I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, THEY’RE A
MARRIED COUPLE WHO CAN WORK
TOGETHER SO BEAUTIFULLY.
>> THAT’S IMPRESSIVE.
>> I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.
>> WOW.
>> DEREK SAID HE HAD THE
OPPOSITE OF HIS WIFE.
HE HAD A MOM WHO GOT EVERY BOOK
INTO HIS HANDS.
>> YOU’VE BECOME OUR RESIDENT,
OBVIOUSLY, BOOK CORRESPONDENT.
ONE THING I LIKE ABOUT ALL OF
YOUR REPORTING, YOU ALWAYS
HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF
REPRESENTATION.
LOVE THAT.
>> WELL, IT IS IMPORTANT.
>> IT IS.
IT IS PARAMOUNT.
COMING UP THIRD HOUR, WE’RE
GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE ON
CHANGEMAKERS FOR OUR SERIES ON
BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
THIS MORNING, ANOTHER SPECIAL
SHOP.
THIS IS A SHOP WHERE HISTORY IS