This Middletown bookstore calls itself a 'bookseum.' What you'll find at Sadie's

Every February, a Black-owned bookstore in Middletown flips the narrative on Black History Month.

“Black History is a mindset, not a month,” said Yaa Yaa Whaley-Williams, owner of Sadie’s Books & Beverages. “That’s kind of the theme in this space: Disrupt the typical narrative. And not just for the purpose of being revolutionary or crazy, but to really inspire people.”

Sadie’s is the first-of-its-kind “bookseum,” a term coined by Whaley-Williams to encompass the blend of Black history, art and literature showcased in her shop.

“Black History needs to be something that we celebrate for more than 28 or 29 days every year,” she said. “It’s really a movement of unearthing hidden treasures and hidden histories.”

“When we get selective when it comes to the Black history that we’re sharing, we’re doing a huge disservice to people understanding why we are where we are and what we need to do to move forward.”

At Sadie’s, history starts with its namesake, the owner’s grandmother. Born in Jamaica, Sadie immigrated to the United States with her mother and sisters at age 7.

Though she died more than three decades ago, Sadie’s influence lives on through her heirlooms, on display atop each of the bookshelves lining the walls at her namesake store – her shortwave radio, her Polaroid camera, her VHS player.

Sadie’s personal typewriter, still in prime working condition, invites book browsers to tap out a message near the children’s section. Her record collection sits nestled between a pair of buffalo-checked mid-century armchairs, each LP waiting for its chance to go for a spin.

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“These are things you can touch, things you can ask questions about, something nostalgic for the elders or to inspire the youth,” Whaley-Williams said. “Yeah, we sell books, but it’s really about coming and engaging with your community.”

Sadie’s clothes iron is often mistaken for a kettlebell by the unenlightened. One young visitor asked if a tape from her VHS collection was an oddly shaped frisbee.

“We want to inspire not just a reverence for grandparents and elders, but to get people thinking about what treasures and heirlooms they might have in their families,” Whaley-Williams said.

The books-end of the business features hundreds of Black authors across 23 genres and curated lists, separated by hashtag, including the works of 15 local authors.

Memoirs and biographies are found under #ITellIt and #TheGOATs. Another shelf over, #HipToTheHop spotlights the lyricism and literary work of Black artists.

Sadie’s prides itself on being a community-curated collection, Whaley-Williams said. If a browser makes a compelling argument to move an author or a certain work from one section to another, they are free to do so.

“We’re not Barnes & Noble,” she said. “If you feel passionate about a book, move things around because it’s your space.”

In order to ensure Sadie’s truly belongs to all who enter, Whaley-Williams launched a book access and equity program, offering brand-new children’s books marked down to $3 and $7, a nod to the shop’s address at 37 North St.

“When I was a kid getting a free or discounted book, it was usually dog-eared or had writing in it, or some pages missing,” Whaley-Williams recalled. “But getting a discounted book shouldn’t mean that it’s anything less than brand new.”

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The museum-focused right side of the store is decorated with samples from paint-and-sip events – famous Black artists and influential leaders – along with a haunting white sculpture of a protecting angel, created and gifted by Whaley-Williams’ aunt.

Below the suspended statue sits Sadie’s shrine, showcasing a selection of books signed by the author to the store or to Whaley-Williams herself, often at the behest of the latter’s mother.

“Anytime I got a book, I had the author sign it to you, not to me,” Whaley-Williams recalled her mother telling her upon her discovery of a bell hooks title personally inscribed to her.

The shrine doubles as a home for wayward heirlooms without another place to go, donated by community members without descendants of their own. An original copy of “The Negro Motorist Green Book” is proudly displayed alongside a 100-year-old zebra-skin drum brought back from Africa.

Sadie’s Studio, an alcove in the back of the store reserved for artists and creators, can easily transition from movie set to sound stage to photo studio, complete with tripods, microphones, lighting and production equipment.

Interspersed among the displays are small samplings of products by local Black-owned businesses.

Baby Schnooks, a woman-owned business in Newburgh, donates proceeds from a line of chapsticks – with flavors inspired by Arizona Iced Teas and Skittles – to the Trayvon Martin Foundation.

“It’s a curated experience because they each have a story,” Whaley-Williams said. “It’s a cool way to not just be a conscious consumer, but to participate in current activism.”

Lolly’s Handmade of Middletown features an all-natural skincare line inspired by the owner’s cancer diagnosis that necessitated a switch to paraben-free products.

Also available are incense, lapel pins, coloring books, cookbooks and bookmarks, all created and produced by local Black-owned businesses.

The joy of running a Black-owned business that promotes Black artists and authors is not without its challenges, Whaley-Williams said.

She awoke one morning to find her car had been egged – something that hadn’t occurred in her nearly a decade of living in Middletown until two years ago, when Sadie’s first opened.

Some prospective patrons turn around as soon as they walk in, while others enter with a demeanor more challenging than curious.

When she receives pushback about the lack of celebrated white authors on her shelves, Whaley-Williams tells visitors: “Steinbeck and Shakespeare, they’ve had their accolades and they get shelf space everywhere. This is about the people who don’t make those shelves.”

She is often able to diffuse tension with the Sadie’s signature tour, with a particular emphasis on the #FoodforEducators section.

“I make it less about my take on something and direct them to a book on the subject instead,” Whaley-Williams said.

“Just like anything — women’s history, LGBTQ pride — Black History shouldn’t be a flavor of the month,” Whaley-Williams said. “When we’re intentional about being inclusive to people who are traditionally on the margins of society, then we can honor it all the time.”

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: 'More than a bookstore:' Sadie's Books highlights Black art, community