Death Threats

Liberation Station, the cherished Black-owned children’s bookstore nestled in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, sadly finds itself on the brink of closure after nearly a year of serving its community. The brainchild of Victoria Scott-Miller, an enterprising Black entrepreneur, and her husband, Duane Miller, Liberation Station opened its doors with much fanfare in June 2023. It quickly became a beacon of representation for Black children, offering a sanctuary where they could find themselves reflected in the pages of literature.

However, the jubilation surrounding the store’s opening soon gave way to a harrowing reality. In the ensuing months, Victoria and her family found themselves targeted by a series of chilling death threats. These threats, which initially seemed distant and ignorable, escalated to include a particularly disturbing phone call outlining details of their son Langston’s activities in the shop, sending shockwaves through the family.

In a heartfelt Instagram post shared from the bookstore’s official account on Monday, Victoria opened up to her followers, offering insight into the grim circumstances prompting Liberation Station’s imminent closure. “Since September, we’ve faced numerous threats following the opening of our store. Some we brushed off, while others included a disturbing phone call detailing what our son Langston wore when he was at the shop alone,” Victoria wrote in the post’s caption.

Their Story

In 2019, Victoria Scott-Miller and her eldest son, Langston, visited a national chain bookstore and struggled to find children’s books by Black creators that featured characters of color. That experience led the Raleigh, N.C. family to spend $200 to buy 113 books by Black authors or Black illustrators to start Liberation Station Bookstore as a pop-up shop specializing in children’s literature that centers on Black children and families. On Juneteenth weekend 2023, Liberation Station Bookstore will opened a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Raleigh.

About Victoria Scott-Miller

Victoria Scott-Miller is an award-winning Raleigh-based entrepreneur. Documentarian, author, creator of “The Museum Lives in Me” book series and owner of the trailblazing, independent, globally-recognized Liberation Station Bookstore. Specializing in children’s literature. In 2021, she was inducted as the youngest and first African American woman into the Wake County Public School Hall of Fame in the category of Entrepreneurship. In 2022, Scott-Miller was commissioned by the North Carolina Museum of Art to serve as author and creative director for her debut series, “The Museum Lives in Me.” She was the first African American to have such a commission in the museum’s history. Her children’s book is now in every public elementary school and N.C. Cardinal library in the state. Following its success, she signed a multi-book deal to expand her series to museums across the country with Paw Prints Publishing, an imprint of Baker & Taylor. Scott-Miller is represented by Serendipty Literary Agency. She lives in Raleigh, N.C. with her husband, Duane Miller, and two sons, Langston and Emerson.

Address: 208 Fayetteville St., Suite 201, Raleigh, N.C. 27601
Hours after opening: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday
https://liberationstationbookstore.com/

Media contact: Andrea Weigl, 919-518-7679, andrea.weigl@gmail.com