There’s a new niche shop coming to Evanston, with the distinction of being the first Black woman-owned bookstore in the city’s history. Zora’s Place, which is slated to open in September at The Aux Wellness Collective, will center, celebrate, and amplify the voices of Black women authors, artists and entrepreneurs. “We’re creating a warm, intentional space where Black women can feel seen, supported, and inspired,” said founder L’Oreal Thompson Payton.
Author L’Oreal Thompson Payton is opening Zora’s Place, Evanston’s first Black women-owned bookstore. Credit: Pooja Shah of Tembo Tones
Thompson Payton is no stranger to the literary world. A longtime journalist with publications such as the Baltimore Sun, Jet, and Ebony, the Evanston resident is also the author of several books. Stop Waiting For Perfect, a self-help book about overcoming imposter syndrome and self doubt, was published in 2023, and her debut children’s book, a biography about Amanda Gorman, comes out in December.
Credit: Pooja Shah of Tembo Tones
Thompson Payton has always been a voracious reader, but didn’t feel connected to what was available to her. “As a teenager I didn’t see myself represented in the books or magazines I read, like Sweet Valley High, Cosmo Girl, and Teen People. That void is what inspired me to become a journalist, and write my own stories. I realized that my words and writing could help other people,” she said.
While Thompson Payton didn’t set out to become a bookstore owner at this stage in her life, it’s always been in the back of her mind. “My retirement dream was to create a bookstore with a coffee shop, yoga studio, and co-working space,” she said. “But on a bookstore crawl with friends in 2019, I became inspired by Café con Libros, a small intersectional feminist bookstore with a coffee shop in Brooklyn. Then when the Black woman-owned bookstore Call & Response opened in Hyde Park, I thought, ‘why can’t we bring this to Evanston’”?
Credit: Pooja Shah of Tembo Tones
The Aux Wellness Collective, which opened in May at 2223 Washington Street, is a natural location for Zora’s Place. As a Black-owned wellness collective, it is dedicated to racial equity, and hosts regular yoga and dance classes, coaching sessions, and other community programming. A certified yoga teacher, Thompson Payton also teaches classes in the space. “Evanston is very diverse, and The Aux makes perfect sense. There’s a cafe and laundromat, and it seems like a natural place where people might want to get a book,” she said.
Zora’s Place will offer a variety of genres, for readers of all ages. Non-fiction picks will include self-help books with a wellness focus, as well as books highlighting racial justice and equity. “And of course we’ll have the classics, such as books by Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, and Octavia Butler. They are the pioneers,” said Thompson Payton.
The interior space for Zora’s Place. Credit: Carrie Jackson
Fiction picks will include a dedicated romance section. Thompson Payton, who identifies as queer, said she wants to capture the Black queer feminist perspective. “Black romance is revolutionary and part of the resistance. Black women deserve joy, and we want to be sure that the LGBTQ+ identities are represented in that as well,” she said. There will also be a children’s section, plus a kids corner with a table for little ones to be occupied. In addition to books, the store will offer gifts such as journals, candles, and stationery.
Thompson Payton envisions Zora’s Place as a community hub, and will offer activities for engagement beyond the books. She is planning on hosting story times, author talks, writing workshops, book clubs, and more. “I see it having an Afro-bohemian vibe, like you’re walking into your rich auntie’s living room. There will be space to get cozy, grab a book, and stay a while,” she said.
Zora’s Place will open inside The Aux Wellness Collective, 2223 Washington Street Credit: Carrie Jackson
The name Zora’s Place pays homage to author Zora Neale Hurston, whose novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered a classic of the Harlem renaissance. “She is my favorite author, and this is a way to celebrate her while centering Black women at the heart of the store. I really wanted to stay true to my roots and vision in having this bookstore highlight Black women and girls,” Thompson Payton said.
Zora’s Place will be Evanston’s first Black woman-owned bookstore. Credit: Carrie Jackson
As a parent, Thompson Payton wants to immerse her three-year old daughter in a community where she feels centered. “We were recently browsing books, and came across Sulwe, a children’s book by Lupita Nyong’o. It has a beautiful dark skinned girl on the cover, and my daughter immediately gravitated towards it. I imagined her growing up in a world where Black is always beautiful to her, and she’s not questioning her hair or skin, or wanting to be different,” Payton said. “There is a joy in seeing themselves and knowing that they belong. If we can instill that confidence at an early age, the world is their oyster.”
The Aux Wellness Collective is hosting an open house on Saturday, July 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., which will include storytimes for kids at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m., as well as class demos, vendors, wellness workshops, tours and more. Payton kicked off a crowdfunding campaign in June, and hopes to open Zora’s Place over Labor Day Weekend.
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