City Books wants to be clear on who and what we value. We stand with those who fight racism & injustice in all aspects of life. We mourn with Black, AAPI, and Indigenous families & loved ones of those who have been & are being destroyed by racial violence, and we support the protesters & communities which have been & are being attacked by ideological extremists & militarized police forces in Pittsburgh & across the country.
Please read our Tribal Lands Acknowledgement.
What Allyship means to us
Like many other people & businesses, we have always considered ourselves allies, but we are learning in real time how we have fallen short in the past and how we can do better in the future. As we commit to bold & necessary activism, we are cautious not to reproduce the hierarchies we seek to dismantle and are examining our own processes first before finding fault in others. In that spirit, we are open to constructive conversation and criticism regarding our business practices and ways that we can be more helpful to the community. We welcome accountability with open minds and open hearts.
Who & what we support
We encourage our customers to get involved, please consider DONATING to the Bukit Bail Fund of Pittsburgh, a coalition of individuals supporting those incarcerated in Allegheny County Jail.
City Books collects money from our “round up” box and donates the money to Pittsburgh Feminisits for Intersectionality, a community focused on amplifying and supporting women of color, trans women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folx. Similarly, we adamantly believe TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN and that BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER. Therefore, we support SisTersPGH, a transgender drop-in space, resource provider, and shelter transitioning program based in Pittsburgh.
We are big fans of BOOM Concepts, a space dedicated to the development of artist and creative entrepreneurs representing marginalized voices, and of Casa San Jose, a vibrant community center where Latino culture thrives and immigrants find a welcoming home built on inclusion, dignity, and respect.
How you can participate
If you are unable to make financial donations to the above organizations at this time, there are many things you can be doing to support Black & Latine people and to engage fellow white people in actively opposing racism. Please read “7 tips for white allies from a black Pittsburgher” by Cameron Barnett dated June 6, 2020.
Please register to VOTE.
For 41 years, City Books has been a center for discussion, creativity, and healing in Pittsburgh. Despite a few COVID setbacks, we are still here and working to get vital resources into the community.
If you or someone you know needs a book
Because of who and what we value, City Books wants to ensure that important books get into the hands of people who need them. If you are in Pittsburgh & are looking for BLM- or social justice-related titles but are not able to afford a book right now, please contact us at citybookspgh@gmail.com and we will make arrangements to source books for you.
As always, we accept special orders for new & used books that we do not currently carry.
We have NEVER doubted “that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead) Therefore, we encourage our followers & customers to join us in support of local Black authors, artists, & businesses, as well as social organizations working to end injustice and food insecurity in Pittsburgh & beyond.