Spotlight on Baldwin & Co.

Baldwin & Co., a Black-owned bookstore in New Orleans, LA opened in February 2021 and is celebrating their 3-year anniversary this month. Owner DJ Johnson is a native of the neighborhood where the store is located, and his bookstore has had a significant impact in its short tenure. Johnson also owns New Orleans Art Bar, an art gallery and event venue that shares a courtyard with the bookstore, and Baldwin & Co. Manor, a stylish short-term rental property located on the second floor of the bookstore. The profits from Baldwin & Co. Manor are funneled into the Baldwin & Co. Foundation, a nonprofit arm of the bookstore that offers children’s storytime, literacy tutoring, and free community book festivals that include giving away children’s books, live performances, author readings, live music, free food and beverages, and more. Baldwin & Co. also offers a state-of-the-art podcast studio for the community to rent.

Baldwin & Co. is a vibrant community hub, serving as a safe space for kids after school, a tutoring center, and an enjoyable place just to pass a Saturday afternoon. They work hard to create meaningful social change and promote and expand literacy, and their coffee shop offers drinks friendly to dietary restrictions and the BEST lavender lemonade. 

Johnson said that his favorite handsell this year has been Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward. He also said that Baldwin & Co.’s top priority this year is community, and his favorite SIBA benefit is the people.

You can learn more about Baldwin & Co. on their website: https://www.baldwinandcobooks.com/ and you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram @baldwinandcompany, and on Twitter @baldwinbooks.