Leimert Park’s Eso Won bookstore will soon celebrate the launch of Michelle Obama’s new memoir
To James Fugate, co-owner of Eso Won Books in Leimert Park, the Obamas are a symbol of happiness and pride.
Like many residents of South L.A., Fugate loved to watch the former first family celebrate holidays and fill the role of previous first families in U.S. history. For many African Americans, seeing the Obamas in the White House normalized an aspect of the black experience.
“I thought people would get a chance to see that a black family occupying the White House is gonna be just like any other family that occupies the white house,” Fugate said.
To commemorate Michelle Obama’s influence on the black community, Fugate is celebrating the release of the former first lady’s new memoir, “Becoming,” set to hit shelves Nov. 13. It will be an all-day celebration starting at 7 a.m. Breakfast will be served to those buying the book. Fugate wants customers to mingle and read the book.
“We want to try to sell 1,000 copies that day,” Fugate said.
The Obamas have a specific connection to Eso Won Books, an independent bookstore that features mostly black authors.
In 1995, Fugate and co-owner Thomas Hamilton hosted Barack Obama’s book signing of his first memoir “Dreams From My Father.” In an interview years later, the then-Senator mentioned the small gathering he had at Eso Won. A biography of Michelle also recalls the event at Eso Won and the couple’s support for the store.
Fugate appreciates that the Obamas supported local business.
Barack and Michelle Obama were often seen on the news shopping at small businesses like their local bookstore. This brought a lot of attention to independent book-sellers like Eso Won — which caters to the diverse community of L.A. — especially on traditional large-scale shopping days like Black Friday, Fugate said.
Typically for book releases, stores open at midnight to be the first to sell out as soon as possible. For Fugate, he’d rather cater to the community by offering breakfast and providing a comfortable space for his customers.
“I just think that [the community] will have a lot of pride that their bookstore is doing something like this,” Fugate said.
He hopes that a powerful figure like Michelle Obama can spark positivity in the community that has been dim since the new administration took office.
“Hopefully we’ll have a line down the block,” Fugate said.
Fugate believes “Becoming” will not only be a source of community camaraderie, but also a push to support local bookstores like his own.
“This is one book to rally around.”
