Sisters behind US’s first Black food book store share their five essential reads

For Black History Month, owners Gabrielle and Danielle Davenport curated a list of the best books celebrating the role of food in culture and liberation

For sisters Gabrielle and Danielle Davenport, every month is a good time to read about Black food. As the owners of Brooklyn’s BEM | books & more, the country’s first book store to focus on the topic, the two sisters are regularly curating works that narrate and elevate stories and memories about Black food.

“Black history, for us, is a year-round affair,” said Gabrielle. “In terms of things we’re reading, it’s always exciting to see how history shows up throughout the collection.”