Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaila Boulware Sykes.
Kaila, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It all started after being discriminated against at one of the most unexpected places–a bookstore. My husband and I took our one-year-old son, Truth, to a bookstore in Ocean County, NJ and it had hundreds of thousands of books. We wanted to give Truth the experience of being around so many books, looking through them, and having fun. As soon as we walked in, we could see we were not welcome. People were staring at us and whispering. We ignored them, chose our books, and went to pay. When we left, the cashier made a phone call and said, “Okay they are leaving now.”
We get into the car and were so frustrated and upset. We start praying and ask Yoheweh to give us a bookstore and to fill it with thousands of books. We promise that it will be a space where EVERYONE is welcome, no matter who they are, what they look like, or where they come from. We promise to make the books affordable and to even give them away for free.
2 weeks later we go to Above Art Studios, a New Brunswick art gallery that my husband and I go to often. We tell them our idea for a non-profit bookstore and they love it, welcoming it with open arms.
3 weeks after that, Hidden Gems Literary Emporium has the biggest event of the weekend in the city of New Brunswick– the grand opening of Hidden Gems Literary Emporium, your family-owned, non-profit, community bookstore. Over 500 people came to the event. Every single one got a free book. On that day, we knew we were on the right path.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Of course, every new venture comes with hurdles, but overcoming obstacles comes with rewards. As a non-profit, our biggest hurdle is funding. When we first started we would always get asked, “How are you going to make money if you are giving the books away for free?” Our response was always, “We work for people, not for profit.” We do not want money to prevent people from having access to books and educational resources. We know that in this world you reap what you sow. If you give abundantly, you receive abundantly. We constantly pray that the needs of Hidden Gems will be met and that we will be able to expand at the rate we feel it can and should.
The cost of operating Hidden Gems Literary Emporium is not cheap. We have had issues with paying for operating expenses to the point where we were at risk of losing our book inventory. The great thing about putting the people you serve before yourself is that in your time of need, those same people will lovingly help you. We are so grateful to the supporters and donors who ensure Hidden Gems continues to survive.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Raymond, my husband, and I met while attending Rutgers University. We met through photography and film and have been inseparable ever since. Our media production, marketing, and communication background have helped us with Hidden Gems in the most amazing ways. Being life-long lovers of art, music, and literature adds so much character to the bookstore. Above Art Studios art gallery is the perfect home for us. People come in, hear the music, admire the art, select a good book to read, and engage in great conversation. They bring in their children to play with our son, and we parents chit-chat about books and life. Our integrity and character set us apart, and people can feel it! It is amazing!
What am I most proud of? Honestly, our readers. Hidden Gems was created from a simple prayer. Can we take credit for it? Nope. We are just grateful and thankful we were chosen to do this amazing work. It is the readers from all across the world who engage with Hidden Gems that I am proud of. I am proud that people of all ages are falling back in love with reading. I am proud of the students who engage with our programs who are excited about the books they received and who tell us they are going to read more. I am proud of the elders who come in and are excited about choosing books for themselves and their grandchildren.
I do not take pride in myself. Rather, I take pride in the readers around the world.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Aside from family memories, I will never forget the day my father took us to Tent City in Lakewood, NJ. I was around 10 years old and I was doing a school project about homelessness. I told my father about a community of people that lived in a forest on the side of the highway.
My father took my brother and me there and that is an experience we will all remember forever. Each person or family had their own tent with their own plot of land. There were chickens, animals, and gardens. There was a huge hot water heater with showers. There was a pastor who left his own home to live in this community to protect the people from being kicked out and to make sure they had everything they needed. We talked to people who lived there. Everyone lived in harmony.
That experience stuck in my young mind. The power of people coming together is truly remarkable. That experience also inspired the food distribution program my husband and I would start later on.
Giving the youth memories like this can affect how they live as adults. It happened to me.
Pricing:
- We have recommended (never required) donations for our books of $5 for soft cover and $10 for hardcover
- If supporters would like to donate towards the construction of our FREE MOBILE LIBRARY they can visit gofundme.com/HiddenGemsLiteraryEmporium
- For people who would like to donate towards our non-profit programming and operating expenses: CashApp $HiddenGemsEmporium Venmo @HiddenGemsLiteraryEmporium PayPal HiddenGemsLiteraryEmporium@gmail.com Checks can be made out and mailed to Hidden Gems Literary Emporium 55B Morris St. New Brunswick, NJ 08901
- Readers can also support us on bookshop.org/shop/HiddenGemsLiteraryEmporium
Contact Info:
- Website: HiddenGemsLiteraryEmporium.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/HiddenGemsLiteraryEmporium
- Facebook: Facebook.com/HiddenGemsLiteraryEmporium
- Twitter: Twitter.com/HiddenGemsLit
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCSqvGqfocnAl1WOSC3L11CQ
Image Credits
Hidden Gems and Literary Emporium
