Children’s book author and mother of two, Victoria Scott-Miller, decided to proactively address the pressing need for Black children’s books for young people. Her decision comes amid recent book bans and cuts to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
So, Scott-Miller chose downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, as the location for her physical bookstore, Liberation Station, which opened in June 2023. She deliberately selected the site because, historically, Black people were barred from borrowing books at the local library in that very area.
Months later, in September 2023, Scott-Miller received death threats and endured online harassment and threatening phone calls related to Liberation Station.
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Eventually, Scott-Miller closed the store for her and her family’s safety and peace of mind.
She told Essence, “I want to be clear: we didn’t close because we were defeated. We closed because we were strategic. Because rest is resistance. Because sometimes you have to step back to step forward with more power.”
Now she has reopened with renewed purpose.
She explained her initial motivation, saying, “Liberation Station started in 2019 with a conviction that wouldn’t let me rest. The catalyst was a four-hour search through a national bookstore chain where my sons and I could only find five books that reflected us. Five. After four hours.
In that moment, I decided something: the love letter my children would inherit would be one of being seen always. Not occasionally. Not if they search hard enough. Not as an afterthought. Always. I refused to raise Black boys who had to beg for their existence to be validated in literature.”
Starting as a mobile bookstore operating out of a 2011 Chevy Cruz, the foundation for the current storefront was laid. The mother of two became the first Black woman to develop programming for the North Carolina Museum of Art in its 80-plus-year history in 2021. This significant work reinforced her belief: access to existing spaces is not enough; creating their own is essential.
The bookstore then found its permanent home on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, opening in June 2023.
She noted that they did this because “our community didn’t just need more bookstores. We needed—and deserved—more beautiful spaces. Spaces where Black children don’t have to search for four hours to find themselves. Spaces where representation isn’t optional but foundational. Spaces where every detail, from the sage-colored walls to the Braille affirmations made of mustard seeds, says: You belong here. You are art. You are seen.”
Even after the store closed because of the constant harassment, Scott-Miller said the community they built it for rose up to support them.
She recounted, “They raised over $70,000—including a $10,000 donation from Tabitha Brown—to bring us back. That’s when I knew: this isn’t just my bookstore. It’s our resurrection.”
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The mompreneur announced that 2026 is designated as the year of “Through Our Lens,” emphasizing a theme that prioritizes the Black perspective, Black narratives, and Black authorship in all storytelling.
She said, “We’re launching programming that includes intergenerational storytelling sessions in our podcast studio, where elders and children archive family histories together; author events and book signings; Black Lit Libraries in partnership with schools, museums, and community organizations; Braille literacy programming; monthly prayer circles (third Sundays at 6pm); and a youth curators program where young people select inventory and design displays.”
Scott Miller added, “We’re also deepening our community care work—providing not just books but resources, refuge, and radical hospitality through our pad pantry, food pantry, and diaper pantry. You can’t focus on literacy if you’re worried about your next meal. Liberation is holistic.”
