Tag Archives: Life Enrichment Bookstore

News

Historic L.E.M.S Bookstore Reopens

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by Chamidae Ford

Located on Rainier Avenue South, in the heart of Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood, the historic Life Enrichment Bookstore (L.E.M.S) has officially reopened its doors. 

Founded by Vickie Williams over 20 years ago as a bookstore and cultural hub for people to gather, it is one of two Black-owned bookstores in the state. The Vanishing Seattle blog detailed ways L.E.M.S has created an environment for the local community to come together: “[It] held space for African church services, recovery groups, job training for formerly incarcerated folks, and holiday and Kwanzaa bazaars for #blackowned businesses.” For many years, Dr. Maxine Mimms facilitated a monthly community gathering at the bookstore to teach Black history.

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Essay

The Enduring Legacy of Vickie Williams and Life Enrichment Bookstore

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by Leija Farr

My childhood was replete with the smell of black, red and green candles burning. There was a certain beauty to this slow burn. It lit the back of the room as older women, showcasing their finest kente cloth, danced to the rhythms of drums until their bodies ruptured with incessant sweat and the ache was too big to ignore. Continue reading The Enduring Legacy of Vickie Williams and Life Enrichment Bookstore →