A new Northwest Jacksonville bookstore has opened and decided to uniquely center historically and educationally silenced voices. Cafe Resistance opened Sunday, June 30, and features books you’d never find on shelves in the Florida school district.
Cafe Resistance, headed by Florida State Representative Angela “Angie” Nixon, is dedicated to uplifting the local black community with diverse literature. Nixon described her store as an inclusive place to learn about history and subjects.
Nixon said, “We can learn our true history in the roots, and you know, push back against the overbearing legislature and an overbearing governor, who just really wants to keep people uneducated.”
The shelves of the Jacksonville store are filled with books that have been banned or disputed in the Florida school system. Nixon believes in the value of such books because not only are books banned by state law for not being “free of pornography,” but certain race-based teachings can also get a book disputed by the Florida school district. This practice has made it difficult for kids to consume diverse sources of media about Black culture.
The opening of Cafe Resistance was celebrated by dozens of residents who dulled in spotlight books and the coffee offered at Cafe Resistance coffee shop.
According to First Coast ABC News, a local author, Aaron Woodson, said of the location, “I love the artistry. That’s the first thing. It feels like you’re like going into, you just feel at home. You know, it’s also a cafe.”
Another proudly said, “This turnout is just absolutely unbelievable.” Tarver Lee added, “We should not be silent when it comes to speaking.”
High School senior Victoria Spence agreed with the author’s sentiment. She and her younger sister Isabella took some time to attend the grand opening of Cafe Resistance. The girls, both young and aspiring authors, recognized the importance of meaningfully engaging with books that have been challenged in the past. That mentality is encouraged in Cafe Resistance.
Spence spoke about the importance of learning as a whole with the outlet.
She explained, “That’s just the truth that we want to put out there. Sometimes, the truth is hard to accept.”
“That’s what our book is about. About kids in STEM and us learning, ‘Hey, it’s not that you’re just a basketball player or a rapper or a singer. You can be so much more than that.”
Spence continued, “You shouldn’t ban the truth; it sets people free. You should share it, and you should be free to share it with everybody.”
