Join us for an elegant evening celebrating Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center, Harlem’s longest-standing Black-owned bookstore and a cultural anchor since 2000.

Hosted by founder Janifer P. Wilson, the gala will celebrate Harlem's literary and cultural legacy. The evening will bring together fine dining, live entertainment, and philanthropy, with dinner catered by Harlem's Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too.

Meet Our 2026 Honorees

This year's gala will recognize four honorees whose work reflects Sister's Uptown's commitment to literature, education, entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, and service to the community.

Herb Boyd

Community activist, author, and columnist for the Amsterdam News.

Dawn Harris-Martine

Harlem educator and owner of Grandma's Place, Toys & Children's Books.

Wade and Cheryl Hudson

Founders of Just Us Books and pioneering publishers of Black children's literature.

Yvonne Stennett

Executive director of the Community League of the Heights (CLOTH) and longtime community leader.

About Sister's Uptown

Janifer P. Wilson opened Sister's Uptown Bookstore in January 2000 with a commitment to ensuring that children and adults could see Black life, history, and achievement reflected in the books around them. In 2007, she expanded the institution with Sister's Uptown Cultural Center, creating a family-operated community resource devoted to the exchange of information and ideas.

For more than 26 years, Sister's Uptown has served readers, writers, scholars, artists, families, and neighbors through Black literature, author events, book clubs, poetry, storytelling, music, workshops, and intergenerational programming. Today, it remains Harlem's longest-standing Black-owned bookstore and continues its mission to preserve, promote, and celebrate Black literature and culture for future generations.

Event Details

DATE: Saturday, October 24, 2026

TIME: 6:00–9:00 p.m.

LOCATION: The Riverside Church

ADDRESS: 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027

TICKETS: $150 general seating; $300 VIP; sponsorship packages: $5,000–$10,000

For More Information

Sister's Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center
1942 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10032
PHONE 212-862-3680
EMAIL info@sistersuptownbookstore.com
WEBSITE www.sistersuptownbookstore.com

*Please be advised that all tickets and/or donations for this campaign and event are not tax-deductible.

Sister's Uptown Bookstore Inaugural Gala