Bookstore A Cultural Oasis -- Tacoma Shop Features African- American Authors

TACOMA - Ericulo Henderson sells books.

But to his customers, Henderson does more than keep the keys of knowledge.

"I'm kind of like a low-priced psychologist," says the owner of downtown Tacoma's Afrikan Book Center.

"My customers want to know why their boyfriend is chasing white girls, or why their black son is having problems with other white women," says Henderson, 42.

"If I know something about it, I'll talk with them or point them to a book."

Henderson's store is filled with the works of African-American authors, some 2,000 titles, including many out-of-print works. It's a magnet for readers seeking enlightenment and inspiration from the likes of Alice Walker, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth.

It's also a place where customers find fragrant body oils, incense, Miles Davis T-shirts, dolls with black faces, a new line of children's books about Africa and the histories of abolitionists, black ministers, business leaders and poets. And, Henderson says, it's a sanctuary, a cultural oasis.

Some people come in for relief.

Like Marcia Swaine-Hanson, one of Henderson's regulars since 1993. She walked in recently with a blank check from a friend to buy five copies of "Acts of Faith: Daily Meditations for People of Color." The passage for the day was about life's peaks and valleys.

African-American bookstores are few and far between in this region. Because of that, Henderson has a loyal and far-flung clientele. Some of his regulars take the bus from Seattle, or drive from Bremerton, Olympia, Everett and Redmond.

As an African-American-owned business, the store has also been a target. On Father's Day in 1996, someone wrote a racial epithet on the front door.

Henderson left it up for a year as silent witness to the racism that surrounds his customers.

Despite the loyalty of Henderson's customers, their ranks remain small. Those who face a long drive to Tacoma come in perhaps once a month. That's not enough to support the bookstore, Henderson says.

So even after seven years in business, Henderson is trying to build a customer base. He also owns a smaller store close to Fort Lewis in Lakewood, Pierce County.

"My take for the month comes primarily from Fort Lewis, from the soldiers and their families," he says.

Though smaller than he'd like, Henderson's customer base is diverse. He attracts law students from the University of Puget Sound and former prisoners from the Pierce County Jail, both of which are near his store.

"I would have hoped after seven years that I would have a better following. I think it's a case of benign neglect."

Henderson's challenge as a small-business owner also is rooted in cultural nuances, he explains. In general, he says, African Americans tend to go by what they hear and see. Rather than counting on his audience finding him in the phone book, for example, Henderson tries to get customers to spread the word. He sells his them key chains they can give to friends. The attached tab includes a discount card for future purchases.

And for those who search the Yellow Pages, Henderson changed his store's name from Know Thyself to Afrikan Book Center so it would be the first bookstore listed.

While toiling to grow his business, Henderson strives to build a deeper love of literacy among his core customers.

"The value on education in this community is not high," he says. "I conclude that because my (Tacoma) customers tell me they're coming because somebody they respect told them to come."

Henderson encourages customers to buy hardcover books, rather than paperbacks. That's not just to earn more money, he says.

"Rather than discard a paperback, I want my customers to create a library. By creating a library, you create a value for books and a love for literacy."

In helping to build libraries, Henderson believes he's building strength among African Americans.

"You can't create a library if you're unstable," he says. "You can't create a family if you're unstable."