A tour of Baltimore bookshops would not be complete without a stop at Red Emma’s. Named after the anarchist from the late 1800’s, Emma Goldman, the bookstore / café / community space has made a major impact on the Baltimore community.

They are a worker owned cooperative, where everyone who is part of the collective owns an equal share and has an equal vote in the business. They practice a form of democracy that woks on consensus and not majority. This leads to trust and a strong feeling of worth.

They list the following as their Values
•   Sustainability: as far as is possible, we try to minimize waste, and maximize recycling and reuse.
•   Animal friendly: we are a 100% vegan café.
•   Safe space: there’s no room for racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or ableist behavior in our space.
•   Support for the independent publishing ecosystem: as much as possible, we support noncorporate presses and distributors that share our values.

As of now the bookstore itself is somewhat small and is housed in the basement of the building. Plans are under way for a dedicated store nearby on 32nd street. In the small space they currently have can be found though, an amazing selection of ‘radical’ titles.

The café offers an amazing menu of food, coffee, deserts and juices.

Their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/redemmas) lists all of their upcoming events.

Red Emma’s

3128 Greenmount Avenue
Baltimore, MD

Email: info@redemmas.org

Phone: (410) 601-3072

https://redemmas.org/

Hours
Wednesday-Saturday, 8AM-10PM

Copyright Roy Richard