Cafe con Libros: Creating Community One Coffee at a Time

Nestled in the bustling borough of Brooklyn, New York lives a quaint bookstore with an important mission. That mission is to bring Black and Latinx feminist literature to the forefront of the neighborhood, creating a community that fosters love and acceptance. Community is at the center of all they do, whether it’s selling you a book or tote-bag, or making a cozy and safe space to enjoy a latte.

While DeSuze makes it clear that community is everything to her and this business, a sense of tight knit community values is reflected in the overall attitude of the neighborhood. Café con Libros is located in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, though bordering it is the well-known neighborhood of Prospect Heights. Compass.com states that Crown Heights is “a diverse area bursting with energy and things to do.” Filled with local businesses, it is a “community oriented area where people still host block parties and greet friends from their stoops” (compass.com). Likewise, Prospect Heights “has long been known as an epicenter of racial and social convergence” (compass.com). It draws people in based on “its sense of community. Diverse communities have started and run businesses, congregated along the same blocks, and frequented the same shops for generations” (compass.com). It seems as though DeSuze, who grew up not far from the future location of Café con Libros, picked the right place to open a local, community and mission focused business targeting diverse audiences.

Implicitly or explicitly, most of our spaces are male-dominated and [Café con Libros] has to be, if I have any control, about women-and girls-identified folks.

Kalima DeSuze, Owner of Cafe con Libros

Demographically, Brooklyn is a majority black neighborhood. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2021 there was 32,494 Black/African American individuals living in the borough, compared to 25,209 individuals. Brooklyn also has a majority of female identifying individuals, coming out at 32,974 to 29,236. This is of course excluding a portion of the community who no doubt identify outside of the gender norms. However, what this data does make clear is that Café con Libros is perfectly situated in a majority black and female neighborhood, making it the ideal location for a black feminist bookstore.

In DeSuze’s own words, “‘Implicitly or explicitly, most of our spaces are male-dominated and [Café con Libros] has to be, if I have any control, about women-and girls-identified folks’” (Bese.com). This isn’t simply about opening a niche store that caters to your neighborhood demographically, it’s about creating a place that doesn’t commonly exist, yet must. Tim Cresswell states in his book Place: a short introduction, “Place is also a way of seeing, knowing, and understanding the world. When we look at the world as a world of places we see different things. We see attachments and connections between people and place. We see worlds of meaning and experience” (Cresswell 11). Perhaps Café con Libros can be this “meaningful location” (Cresswell 7) for its neighborhood that connects people with their neighbors and shows them a new way of understanding.

It is at the very core of Café con Libros’ mission to serve their community and to build meaningful relationships and dialogue. If anything can be considered a “place,” Café con Libros certainly can. On their website, Café con Libros states that “One of our greatest endeavors is to be of service to our community: a place for growth, calm, healing and belonging.” They are aware of the significance of “place,” by using this intentional language to create the distinct imagery of community and safety. Moreover, they are undoubtedly succeeding, demonstrated by the testimonials on their website.

“Cafe Con Libros and its patrons have become one of my most cherished safe spaces. For a while now, I have been reckoning with shifts in friendships and craving community that shares my values. Cafe Con Libros and the WoC book club have satisfied that craving. Having the opportunity to engage in nuanced discussions about rich literature with other bookish folx has reminded me of the beauty and necessity of community.” -Melika Butcher

Café con Libros is perhaps the most dedicated business to fostering a community and engaging within that community that I have ever seen. Between their locally sourced pastries, their multiple book clubs, and their events that uplift other local businesses, womxn authors, and cultural events, Café con Libros is determined to make themselves a meaningful place to anyone who walks through their doors.