I’m not the best person to ask cuz I’m kinda like a Book addict. That means I’m always prowling for books. I go into every used and small bookstore I pass, whenever I travel I hit up all the local and used bookstores. I check dumpsters, and the curb for books; especially around colleges and universities, young students always tossing books after the year is up. I get my books from very varied sources, but rarely online.
I haven’t bought an Amos Wilson book since Blueprint for Black Power was published, cuz I had them all, I’ve had all of his books for decades, so I don’t know where to buy them at a good price.
I’m really sorry. I really wish I had an inside track but I don’t. In the 90s there were Black bookstores all over, but not anymore, I used to own a bookstore and I’d pull a wagon over to the A&B publishing warehouse and stock up; so I kinda got spoiled.
The most recent book I bought was for $3 at a used record store. It was The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The book I got before that I found in the trash over by the University of Chicago. The text I got before that was gifted to my by a young Brother I’m organizing and building enterprises with; he hooded me up with some text his mentor wrote (that’s my winter reading right there).
People ask me for list of text, and sources of text, I can recommend text, but I’m not good with sources, my book procurement started before internet buying and selling was really big, so I never got into secure books that way. Hell, I’ve yet to buy an Mp3, I’m still on CDs and Vinyl.
If I knew your city I could better help you Anonymous, there are still some good Black bookstores in New York, the Bay Area, Chicago, Kansas City, Atlanta, and other places I’ve been.
I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more use to you, but I hope you are not discouraged, and you keep on the hunt. Also, when to do secure good books, art, photos, videos, audio recordings, and journals; preserve them!
Every Black home should be a miniature Black Archive, and every Black family should be archivist so that we never lose our collective history and wisdom again. I’ve got thousands of recordings, text, academic journals, etc. I work to preserve them and sustain them for the generations. Dr. William Mackey taught me this. I also had a chance to see Dr. Haki Madhubuti’s and Lerone Bennett’s archives and book collections; which had me in awe. I’ve also viewed some of the Vivian Harsh collection recently.
Anyway, I’m sorry I got off topic.
Keep searching, and when you gotta, pay for the text, if you got it, then preserve it and share the insights. #EachOneTeachOne
