CHICAGO () Semicolon Books is making history in Chicago by celebrating diverse voices and stories written by minority authors.

Located in the city’s West Town neighborhood, it is the city’s first and largest Black, woman-owned bookstore. Founded by Dani Moore, it is now one of three of its kind in Chicago.

“My store feels like your favorite auntie’s house,” Moore said. “It should feel like we are family the moment you walk through the door.”

The bookstore focuses on a celebration of diverse voices for readers who enjoy stories by and about minority authors.

After a life-changing cancer diagnosis, Moore used the experience to turn the page and start a new chapter fueling her passion for books and art.

“Grammatically, (a semi-colon) is where an author could stop the sentence but chooses to move it forward, and after my diagnosis, this is how I move forward,” she explains.

In addition to supporting minority authors, Moore launched a “clear the shelves” program to provide books to Chicago Public Schools, helping bridge the literacy gap among minority students.

“We allow students to come in and take whatever books they want off of the shelves, free of charge,” Moore said. “That started our relationship with Chicago Public Schools. Anytime they’re like, ‘Hey, we need books for these classrooms, we need books for these events; we don’t have the budget, can you help?’ We find a way to help.”

Since 2020, Semicolon has provided more than 13,000 students with new books free of charge. To learn more or to donate, visit semicolonchi.org.