Episode 139: EyeSeeMe Book Store

Meet St. Louis

When Jeffrey and Pamela Blair were raising their four children, they had a hard time finding books that reflected African Americans in a positive light. So they decided to fix the problem. They opened EyeSeeMe Bookstore in University City, and now they have the largest collection in the country. As they expanded to a larger space, they also brought in books featuring other underrepresented ethnicities. Jeffrey Blair says seeing a child walk into the store and them seeing shelves lined with books filled with characters that look like them is what keeps him going. He shares his passion for running an independent bookstore, the challenges of sourcing materials, and why the push for social justice across the country meant one of the busiest years ever.