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The Official Bookstore of The Black Girl Brand

Chicago · Virtual · Everywhere you read

Stories that hold us.

Books, community, and literary experiences rooted in care, curiosity, and love.

Shop the bookstore Join the book club

est. by a reader, for her homegirls ✿

hero photo — friends reading together (1:1)

Curated shelf

Reading this season

drag, swipe, or use the arrows — the shelf keeps going →

View the full catalog
community photo — book club circle (1:1)

The book club

Pages With My Homegirls

A monthly room for Black women who read. We pick one book, we talk about it honestly, and nobody gets quizzed on the parts they skimmed. Virtual on the first Sunday, in person in Chicago on the third.

Next up
First Sunday · 4:00 PM CT · Virtual
Reading
This month's pick
Seats
Limited to 40
Register for the next meeting
literary pop up reading social

Events

Bookish events for people who love stories and conversation

From reading socials to book discussions and literary pop ups, each gathering is designed to feel welcoming, relaxed, and rooted in community. Come alone or with a friend, spend time with books and other readers, and leave feeling more connected.

See upcoming events and save your spot

Our Literary Services

Work with us

01

Literacy Consulting and Curriculum Support

This work supports schools and districts that want literacy to feel like belonging rather than compliance. I partner with school leaders and leadership teams to examine their own school data and use it to guide curriculum, programming, and learning experiences that center Black learners, storytelling, and community knowledge. The goal is to support informed decisions that are responsive to students and aligned with the school's stated values

02

Professional Learning and Facilitation

Professional learning and facilitation focused on equity, literacy, and accountability, grounded in lived experience and designed to support more human ways of working together.

03

Author Support and Book Experiences

This is for authors who want their work to land with real people, not just algorithms. I support book events, reader conversations, and community centered launches, along with creative promotion that feels authentic and aligned. The goal is meaningful connection that feels sustainable and human.

04

Workshops and Community Spaces

If you need a place to read, write, and think alongside others without pressure, these workshops are for you. We focus on reflection, creativity, and honest conversation around writing, healing, joy, or visioning. People often leave feeling lighter and more connected than when they arrived.

05

Speaking and Conversations

I speak and facilitate conversations on Black girlhood, literacy, education, motherhood, and storytelling, drawing on lived experience, research, and community work. These engagements are thoughtful and grounded, with the goal of inviting reflection and connection rather than performance.

lifestyle — reading embroidery detail

Bookish apparel

Worn by people mid-chapter

Heavyweight cotton, embroidered lettering, sizes XS–4X. Made to be worn to the library, the group chat, and the third Sunday meetup.

Shop apparel
founder portrait — 3:4
Jen, founder

What's Asè?

Asè (ah-SHAY) — so it is.

A Yoruba word for the power to make things happen: the affirmation said at the end of a prayer, a blessing, a plan spoken out loud. We named the store after it because that is what a book does in the right hands.

Asè began with one reader on the South Side building the shelf she couldn't find, then the book club she wanted to be invited to. What grew is a bookstore that belongs to its readers — Black women first, everyone welcome.

— the founder, and every homegirl who showed up

Come sit with us on Sundays

One letter a month: what we're reading, who's visiting the store, and the invite list for the next gathering.