Well-known indy afro-centric chain to close...

One of the nations largest black-owned bookstores, Karibu is closing. When I first saw the headline, I thought I would be posting about the death of another indy due to market pressures or...more interestingly (if unlikely)...perhaps on how success of mainstreaming ethnocentric publishing has undermined the need for such ethno-focused shops.

For better or worse, the cause is much more banal. Apparently, the owner's of the shop could not agree with the direction of the company nor come to agreement as to who to unwind ownership in a way that allowed it to go forward. It will be interesting to see if something rises from the proverbial ashes.