Our Anti-Capitalist Manifesto

Liberation is Lit may be a small business, but we are always actively seeking to disrupt capitalism in any way we can. We aim to be a model and resource for other small businesses seeking to be anti-capitalist. Here is our manifesto.

Who We Are

Liberation is Lit is a bookseller that aims to spark collective action for liberation and community building among readers by promoting stories from intersectional experiences. We are not just a bookstore but a reimagining of how storytelling in all its forms from the most marginalized in our society can be a practice of liberation for us all. Through different structures, we are on a journey to make all our products, services, and events as accessible as possible.

What Liberation Means to Us

Liberation is when people are free to be themselves without the interference of state-sanctioned violence and systemic oppression. We believe we all deserve to live in a world full of community care, accountability, and curiosity, and where everyone not only has their basic needs met but can thrive in their own authenticity. 

What We Value

Liberation is Lit values Collective Care, Equity-Centered Learning, and Connection. One person, one story, one bookstore cannot change the world. Liberation is Lit is a gathering place for people to come together, be curious, and imagine the world of liberation we want to live in so we can start actively building that world. We value these tenants over making a profit, and the resources the community invests will be given back in accordance with these values.

Who Do We Serve

Liberation is Lit serves readers, writers, artists, and activists looking for connection around storytelling and liberation work. Our community will sustain us through times of scarcity and will share with us in times of abundance. Together, we will ensure the longevity of this storytelling movement. We will always look to our community to hold us accountable for the ways in which we say we will show up. Community (including those who work at Liberation is Lit) over profit every time.

How We Spend Our Time

Liberation is Lit commits to curating a collection of books that align with our values. We also commit to planning programs and events to foster curiosity, connection, and growth. We know that we are not perfect in this anti-capitalist journey, especially while operating under current capitalist conditions, but we commit to growing and evolving as a bookstore as we add to our team and reimagine new ways of being. 

What Roots Us

Liberation is Lit is rooted in our values and our desire to create new ways of operating under a commerce model through equitable distribution of knowledge and building community. We draw on the knowledge and experiences of those organizations, collectives, and ancestors that came before us or work alongside us, as well as giving gratitude to the land in which we reside (Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee) and Congaree land and land cultivated by enslaved African people).

How We Take Care of Ourselves

We believe in sustainable growth for Liberation is Lit, which means honoring our limits and boundaries and having compassion with ourselves regarding these limitations. We commit to intentional rest, recreation, play, and creation so that we can operate at our highest potential. This will be reflected in our employee policies, hours of operation, and ability to facilitate programs and events.

How We Imagine the Future

Liberation is Lit envisions a world of liberation for all where everyone's stories matter. We are equipping our community with the tools to reimagine and build a world of liberation and connecting them to their people so they don’t have to do it alone. Through this bookstore, we hope to build a world where people can see themselves and feel connected through all forms of stories.