Two millennial women with locs on a mission to bring the joy of reading to the Bronx!
Get loc’d into our goal to open a brick and mortar book store in the Bronx.
Loc’d and lit is a platform that we are using to foster a love of reading and bring awareness to the low literacy rates in the South Bronx. The South Bronx is a book desert, with only 1 brick and mortar bookstore for its 1.5 million residents.* We are doing our part to combat this issue through our literacy program, the launch of our online bookstore, and in our efforts to open a bookstore for all ages in the South Bronx.
Who We Are
*1.5 million residents according to the 2020 census at the launch of Loc’d and Lit.
Understanding The Problem
The Bronx Book Desert
What our fellow Bronxites are missing is accessibility and options when it comes to locating a bookstore. Currently, there is only 1 brick and mortar general bookstore in the Bronx, and it is located at the southernmost tip of the borough, which may be inaccessible to those living in the northern, eastern, western, and central Bronx communities. Our Brick and Mortar, will serve as an inclusive community safe haven while providing another accessible bookstore option to our fellow Bronxites. Bookstores contribute to community literacy. And literacy is such a vital aspect of community development because studies have shown that increased literacy decreases poverty levels, improves living conditions, and enhances overall life opportunities.
Minimize the correlation between low literacy rates and high poverty statistics in the Bronx.
Statistical reports show that the Bronx has the lowest literacy rate across the 5 boroughs and, until recently, no bookstores. Nearly 70% of third graders living in poverty read below grade level. The Bronx is also known as being the borough with the highest poverty rate. We believe that there is a correlation between the low literacy rate and the poverty levels in our borough. Having options for another bookstore as well as a literacy program that will expand to adults will help bridge that gap. Children emulate what they see. So having an accessible bookstore that is open to all ages with books in many languages will help expand the minds, the vocabulary, and ultimately increase literacy in reading and finances. As avid readers, we want to help share our joy of reading with others and also increase the level of accessibility to books in our community.
Commitment
We are committed to promoting the works of BIPOC authors and celebrating the joy that reading books brings to people because we believe that reading is freedom, reading is joy, reading is power, reading is revolutionary!
Mission
We are on a mission to not only provide everyone with access to great books, but also to create an inclusive space where all members of the community, young and old, can gather to read, socialize, and get lit(erature)!
Vision
Our vision is of a world in which community growth through reading, learning, and access to information are considered rights, not privileges.
Community Impact
We are doing our part to increase the Bronx’s literacy rate by fostering a love of reading one book at a time through our various initiatives.
Members in our online book club.
Children ages 4-12 who have benefited from our literacy program.
Free books distributed at community events in 2022.
Subscribers to our newsletter.
As approved as NYC D.O.E. book vendors, we can serve as an alternative option for your school's book fair. We just need 1 opportunity to show you why we are the right choice.