Detroiter JerJuan Howard Opens Bookstore with Hopes to be a Cultural Hub

Since its grand opening last month, The Howard Family Bookstore on Detroit’s west side has been bustling with a vibrant energy and culture. Walking in, a custom built bookshelf runs the length of the store accompanied by multiple pieces of African American artwork. At first glance are patrons sitting at tables working on laptops, children reading books, and a young couple sitting at the coffee bar exchanging smiles and conversation with the bookstore staff.

“Everyone who works here is pretty much family,” said JerJuan Howard, the owner of the bookstore that sits on the corner of Puritan Ave. and Lesure St. 

On April 25, nearly 400 people attended the bookstore’s grand opening. The day was highlighted by students from John R. King Middle School singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing;” a speech from activist and educator Malik Yakini; and a ribbon cutting ceremony with over 200 books sold. Howard, 28, used his savings to purchase the property in June 2024, and spent the next year and a half transforming it from an abandoned building to a functional storefront and cultural center.

“These photos you see up here tell the story of how I bought the building,” said Howard, pointing to 3 photographs hanging over a bookshelf. “I didn’t start construction until [around] August 2024 and was done with construction in November [or] December 2025. [That’s] how long it took me to get from what you see here, to where we are now.”

As the founding president of the Puritan Avenue Business Association, Howard is just as passionate about Puritan Ave. as much as he is about literacy. Growing up just seven blocks from the bookstore, on Cheyenne St., is where he developed a lifelong love for reading.

“When I was younger, I just wanted to be an artist. I would draw a lot. I had an imagination and books allowed me to go somewhere else,” said Howard.

At 17, he read the book, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” and it triggered his activist and community-oriented mindset. From that point on, he says, he was convinced that he was, “going to do something – whether big or small – but it was going to be something.”

The first shoe to drop occurred when Howard was a student at Western Michigan University. There he became president of the Black Student Union, and penned the book, “A Message to Black College Students” before he graduated in 2021. A year later, he started the Umoja Debate League, a teenage debate team centered on improving conflict resolution skills, communication, and critical thinking skills.

“We taught kids how to debate, how to articulate and be confident public speakers. And I also want them to become lawyers…it’s this pipeline I’m trying to create,” said Howard.

A bookstore felt like the most community-centered direction to take, and as soon as Howard had the deed in his hand, he canvassed the area to let the neighbors and business owners know that it was coming. He talked to them, asking what kind of books they wanted in the bookstore, and activities they wanted to see offered. The outreach helped him build data on the needs and wants of his future customer base, but more importantly, it helped him build a community that was looking forward to the opening of the bookstore just as much as he was. 

“By engaging them, they don’t feel like it’s just ‘JerJuan’s bookstore,’” said Howard. “Now, they say, ‘our neighborhood has a bookstore. It’s our bookstore.’”

The bookstore is a throwback to the cultural hubs of  Detroit’s yesteryear.  Throughout the 80s and 90s, bookstores like Truth Bookstore, Shrine of the Black Madonna, Black Star Bookstore, and Apple Book Center didn’t just sell books. They hosted author readings, featured lectures by well-known Black historians, and were a resource for independent authors. Howard is planning on doing the same. The store has an upstairs loft for hosting events, and a meeting space in the rear with multiple seats, tables, and a projector.

“Documentaries can be shown here,” said Howard, explaining the versatility of the space. “If you want to talk about financial literacy…or how to start your own garden, or whatever anybody wants to do, it can be shown here.”

One of Howard’s biggest focuses is making sure there are tech-oriented activities and programs for youth. There is an in-store a 3D printer that he foresees will spark creativity. “A lot of these kids have dope stories about how they can create, and we’re going to teach them [the creation process],” he said.

In February, as Howard was putting the finishing touches on the bookstore, Mayor Mary Sheffield appointed him the Director of Youth Affairs for the City of Detroit. Sheffield, Howard says, had been a longtime admirer of what Howard was doing with the Umoja Debate League.

“Around the time when she was city council president, Mayor Sheffield would come to my debates…She would see how I was teaching the kids, my curriculum, my theory,” said Howard. “She would just come, she didn’t have a speaking role, she would just literally be in the audience, just watching.” 

To allocate the time to his new position, Howard decided to transition from executive director of the Umoja Debate League to a board member. Howard’s priority as Director of Youth Affairs is to make sure the voices of Detroit’s youth are included in all decisions.

“…or else it’s [going to] be a city that’s built for them and not with them,” said Howard, who hopes directly engaging youth will give them a sense of ownership. “We need young Detroiters to be proud [of] their city.”

Between his role for the city and running a bookstore, Howard has dedicated himself to making Detroit a better place. He doesn’t want the Howard Family bookstore to be an outlier, but an inspirational trigger for like-minded Detroiters to do the same.

“I have no desire to be the only young Black person who owns a bookstore,” said Howard. “I hope the culture – again – becomes a normal thing to have [one].”