*WARNING* THIS PAGE CONTAINS SENSITIVE CONTENT.
City Reads bookstore, owned by Tia Hamilton, is dealing with racial assaults as a result of her journal exposing jail corruption and wrongful convictions. As threats escalate, members of the Divine 9 and the area people step in to help and defend the shop, reinforcing its function as a hub for resistance and justice.
By Andrea StevensAFRO Employees Writerastevens@afro.com
City Reads, a bookstore owned by Tia Hamilton, has come underneath assault from racists throughout the nation.
Over the previous two weeks, the bookstore and its staff have been harassed and threatened, prompting requires Maryland officers to intervene on behalf of the enterprise.
“All of that is due to my journal, “The State vs. Us Journal,” which highlights high-profile instances and wrongful convictions,” Hamilton mentioned, in an interview with the AFRO. “I discuss in regards to the corruption that goes on in jail, [with the] police and authorities.”
Hamilton, a Baltimore native, believes she has been subjected to harassment as a result of her work sheds mild on points some would favor to stay hidden. Whereas she is accustomed to threats, she mentioned the state of affairs has escalated, with folks driving by her retailer and sending disturbing racial photos by way of e-mail.
“I helped convey dwelling 9 lives, and it’s archived within the Schomburg Heart for Analysis in Black Tradition in Harlem, New York, and at Johns Hopkins College,” she mentioned. “They only don’t like what I do, and I at all times get threats, but it surely’s by no means been to this magnitude. It’s an inflow— DMs (direct messages), calls to me and the shop, even emails to my assistant. It’s intimidation—any person despatched me an image of a noose.”
The harassment is coming from throughout the nation, together with from Little Rock, Ark., Florida; and Louisiana. Because the threats have escalated, group members have stepped in to help and defend the shop and its staff.
Will Hug, a school professor, visited the bookstore in a present of solidarity as an ally to the Black group.
“I’ve had a lifetime of witnessing folks arise as allies,” Hug mentioned. “I’ve been educated as an anti-racist, and one factor White people need to do is take heed to folks of colour– significantly African Individuals– when they’re telling us what they want.”
“I’ve gotten to know Ms. Hamilton through the years. I perceive how vital her work is and what she does. And I can perceive how it might be a lightning rod for white supremacists and racists,” Hug mentioned.
Armando Evangelista, a legal justice professor and a member of the Psi Omega Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, known as the state of affairs troubling.
“It’s unlucky that in 2025 we nonetheless need to cope with points as blatant as hate crimes, or the try of hate crimes,” Evangelista mentioned. He attributed the present racial local weather to politics, saying it emboldens folks to behave in hateful methods.
Evangelista was joined by two different brothers of his fraternity who additionally got here out to point out their help. Andre Fulton, a grasp’s-level social employee and graduate of Morgan State College, emphasised the function of Black males in defending their communities.
“I really feel that it’s vital for us, as males of our group and tradition, to help one another– particularly Black ladies, when they’re feeling unsafe in their very own houses and companies,” Fulton mentioned.
Regardless of the threats, Hamilton stays resolute in her mission.
The outpouring of help from the group has strengthened the significance of her work, proving that she is just not alone within the battle for justice. As native advocates and allies stand by her facet, City Reads continues to be greater than only a bookstore—it’s a beacon of resistance, training and empowerment within the face of adversity.
