Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaykh Anwar A M. Muhammad.
Hi Shaykh Anwar A M., thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I moved to the Greater Philadelphia area 13 years ago from Central Pennsylvania—Harrisburg—I noticed something almost immediately.
There was a void.
Coming from Harrisburg, I was accustomed to having access to Black culture, Black history, Black literature, and spaces where our community could see itself reflected. But after arriving in this area, I found that there were very few—if any—places where that same access existed.
And I couldn’t ignore it.
I believe that when you recognize a void in your community, you have two choices: complain about what’s missing, or become the person willing to create it.
So I chose to create it.
That vision became a reality in August of 2017 with the birth of The Black Reserve Bookstore.
Located on Main Street in Lansdale, The Black Reserve Bookstore opened its doors as the first and only Black bookstore in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, creating a space where people of all backgrounds, ages, and walks of life could enter, learn, discover, and experience something new.
But I never envisioned this as simply a place to buy books.
I envisioned a cultural hub.
A place where a child could walk through the doors and see books featuring people who look like them.
A place where someone could pick up a book and discover a piece of history they were never taught.
A place where families could gather, conversations could happen, questions could be asked, ideas could be exchanged, and community could be built.
A place where Black culture wasn’t something you had to travel somewhere else to find.
We brought it here.
And over the years, The Black Reserve Bookstore has become so much more than a bookstore. It has become a place for community forums, children’s story times, educational programming, conversations, celebrations, and countless opportunities for people to connect.
Because representation matters.
Access matters.
Knowledge matters.
And most importantly, community matters.
What started with recognizing a void has grown into a vision—a vision that says we deserve spaces that celebrate who we are, where our history is respected, our culture is embraced, and future generations are empowered to know that their stories matter.
The Black Reserve Bookstore isn’t just a business.
It’s a statement.
It’s proof that an idea can become a movement when you’re willing to believe in it, invest in it, and build it.
And for those who know us, you already know…
This isn’t just a bookstore.
This is Wakanda.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While the bookstore has become a beloved part of the Lansdale community, its journey has not always been easy. I’ve faced my fair share of challenges—from backlash and misunderstanding to vandalism and outright resistance. Those experiences revealed something important about what it means to create a culturally centered space in a predominantly White suburb.
There were people who simply didn’t understand why a place like Black Reserve Bookstore was necessary. They would ask, “Why do we need something like this here?”
My response has always been simple: The fact that you have to ask that question is exactly why we need it here.
I’ve seen my fair share of small-mindedness, but I’ve also seen hearts and minds open. I’ve watched people who may have never picked up a book about Black history, culture, or experiences walk through our doors, discover something new, and leave with a different perspective.
That’s what this bookstore has always been about.
It was never created to divide a community. It was created to add to it. To create access. To tell stories that deserve to be told. To give children the opportunity to see themselves represented, while giving everyone else the opportunity to see, learn, and understand lives and experiences beyond their own.
And perhaps most importantly, it was created to prove that culture, education, and community can have a home anywhere.
Even here. Especially here.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Since opening its doors in the summer of 2017, Black Reserve Bookstore, founded and operated by Shaykh Anwar Muhammad—“The Black Panther of Lansdale”—has carved out a unique place in the Lansdale community, serving adults, teens, tweens, and children alike.
We offer a wide and diverse selection of books, including fantasy, folktales and moral stories, reference materials, general learning, Black culture, Black History, action and adventure, sticker books, and much more. Our collection is intentionally designed to provide something for readers of all ages and interests.
Our mission is to provide meaningful access to culture, history, knowledge, and perspectives that extend far beyond what we have traditionally been taught. With this purpose in mind, we view every book as a work of love. We seek out books that are thoughtfully researched, intentionally written, beautifully designed, and capable of educating, inspiring, and empowering readers.
But access to culture doesn’t stop at the pages of a book.
Black Reserve Bookstore is also a gathering place for community, conversation, education, creativity, and connection. Throughout the year, we host a variety of indoor and outdoor events, programs, workshops, book signings, discussions, and community activities that bring people together and further our mission of cultural enrichment and community empowerment.
Whether you’re looking for a book, searching for knowledge, discovering your history, looking for something for your child, or simply looking for a place where culture and community come together, Black Reserve Bookstore is more than a bookstore.
It’s a cultural experience. It’s a community space.
What makes you happy?
HELPING
I believe in being part of the solution—not part of the problem.
I pride myself on being a solutions-oriented person. When I see a challenge, my first instinct isn’t to complain about what’s wrong; it’s to ask, “What can we do to make it better?”
We live in a world filled with problems, division, uncertainty, and challenges. What we need now more than ever are people who are willing to step forward—not simply to identify the problems, but to help create the solutions.
For me, helping isn’t just about saying the right things. It’s about showing up, taking action, building bridges, and doing the work.
Because change doesn’t happen by pointing at the problem.
Change happens when somebody decides to become part of the solution.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theblackreservebookstore.shop
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblackreservebookstore?utm_source=qr&stkn=MXE0MDhsZGo4c3J6aA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EcmLXXeVg/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theblackreservebookstore?_r=1&_t=ZT-99lIWc7DAVR
