LANSING, Mich. — A new bookshop opening in downtown Lansing aims to motivate readers, one book at a time.
If you walk down the sidewalk of West Ionia Street, you'll see a bright red door and a sign that reads, "The Resistance Bookstore."
"When people walk in here, I most want them to feel seen, and comfortable being their most authentic selves," said Co-Owner Emily Dievendorf.
Emily and her co-owner Fae Mitchell are two people who are no strangers to oppression. While working on a Black Lives Matter mural in 2020, they discovered they wee on the same mission to spark change in their community.
"Emily and I both found ourselves looking for ways to continue our activism once the summer of George Floyd passed, and we both thought that books were a great a great way a great opportunity to not only give knowledge," Mitchell said they also want to give people the opportunity to learn about movements and history.
"So The Resistance is a nonprofit bookstore that we started because we saw a real need to create a welcoming, inclusive space for all communities impacted by oppression, that increased representation for all of those communities, but also allowed for us to turn knowledge into action," said Dievendorf.
The shop is filled with books on Black History, civil rights, feminism, and more.
"That's part of the mission of the bookstore is to represent all of those communities that are typically underrepresented," said Mitchell.
The bookstore is set to have a soft opening on Monday. They do accept book donations. If you're in need of a book, but are having financial issues, Emily says they will meet you where you're at.
The two believe everyone should have the right to books.
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