In the Marigny, one bookstore owner is bridging the gaps and giving back to his community. DJ Johnson, 43, opened Baldwin & Co. in 2021. The bookstore and coffee shop, at 1030 Elysian Fields Ave., has become a mecca for local Black innovators and creative people.
It's also attracted attention nationally. In a New York Times travel feature, Baldwin & Co. was recently flagged as a must-visit New Orleans destination, and it was named a Condé Nast Traveler pick.
The bookstore has a modern design. As guests walk through the front door, they see the coffee shop bustling with baristas. Further down the aisle, books rest along wooden shelves that match the floor. The combination of brick and eggshell-white walls make for a high-end but rustic tone that Johnson calls "nerd chic."
Johnson graduated from Clark Atlanta University and was an IT manager for the federal government for 20 years. The New Orleans native returned home during the COVID pandemic to take care of his mother.
Johnson purchased the building that is now Baldwin & Co. with the intention of simply renting it out, he said. He didn't know anything about running a bookstore.
"I never in my life thought about owning a bookstore," Johnson said. "But after I bought it, I just told myself, 'I'm going to turn it into a bookstore.'"
A few years later, Baldwin & Co. is thriving. With coffee, a variety of books by people of color and a podcast studio, the store offers a hub for people to meet, think and inspire. Leading national authors speak regularly at the shop to present their books and discuss ideas.
Johnson said his goal is to give back to and build up the Black community of New Orleans. Among other projects, Baldwin & Co. partners with Credit Human, a credit union next door, to hold personal finance classes, and has set up a program to help families save for their children's college education.
This interview was lightly edited for space and clarity.
What inspired you to open Baldwin and Co.?
I wanted to create an intellectual hub for Blacks in the city. It was important for us to have a space where we felt like we could go and create. Go where we can feel like the best version of ourselves. Somewhere we have access to information and access to our greatest thinkers within our history and legacy. A lot of times, you know, we don't know how powerful we can be until we read our history. I wanted to create a space where that history lived on the shelves and was a testament to our greatness. It was important to create a space like that, because when we're inside of spaces like that, like for instance, like when you're inside of an academic setting, you tend to think differently, you tend to think more of a growth mindset. I wanted to create a place that was kind of like nerd chic, if that makes sense.
When did you get the idea to start holding financial literacy classes? How did you implement it?
Do you know how much money, on average, Black people leave behind when they die? Not even $1,000; it’s $0. We're not taught how to invest. We're not taught how to make our money work for us. The goal is to make money while you sleep. I want to teach us how to make our money work. We're not understanding that inflation is weakening our buying power. Because the only thing we're doing is saving, we're not investing.
Why did you decide to put a podcast studio in the store?
I recognize that the way individuals like to receive information comes in very different formats. Everyone isn't a reader. I love reading. I encourage people to read, that's my desired source to receive information. But some people are auditory learners. And the exchange of information is more important than how you receive the information. As long as you're getting the information, then I'm happy. So while Baldwin & Co. specializes in the written word, I wanted people to be able to come and have a space where they can verbalize their words and use the power of the tongue to speak profound thoughts. Plus, there weren’t any podcast studios in the city. There are recording studios where individuals go to record, but they charge you an enormous amount for equipment that you're not going to use. So here at Baldwin & Co., it's a very minimal fee that we charge for you to be able to come in and record in a beautiful space.
Tell me about one of your favorite authors or a book that you connect with.
I'm sure everyone would expect me to say James Baldwin. Some of my favorite titles from him are “Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone," "The Fire Next Time” and “Giovanni's Room.” Outside of Baldwin, I also love Guy Johnson’s “Standing at the Scratch Line.” He also has a sequel to that one called "Echoes of a Distant Summer." Those two are some of my favorite books ever.
What are some aspects of James Baldwin's vision that you incorporate into the store?
One aspect was the community service. James Baldwin gave his life to helping raise and educate the Black community. Like so many of our leaders: W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Audre Lorde, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison. They gave so much to help enrich the Black community. So for me, I recognized that I needed to do more than just celebrate the excellence of these literary artists and their contributions. I wanted to get into the community work that James Baldwin so often spoke about. Like helping individuals in the community become more literate and solving economic disparities. That's why I have the partnership with the credit union next door and we offer free financial literacy classes every single month. We have the children's storytime, because one of the things Baldwin always talked about is how important our children are to us. Especially for eradicating some of the issues that plague our communities. It was also important to bring in some of the most thought-provoking minds this country has ever seen (to speak at the store). One of the things that James Baldwin is historic for is for his debates and not being shy on public speaking. So the author talks are really important. And that's how we try to embody the spirit of James Baldwin — of course, also making sure to share his message of Black empowerment and intellectual thought.