In a session at the American Booksellers Association’s (ABA) Community Forum during the Winter Institute 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 14th, members expressed their dissatisfaction with the organisation’s silence on the ongoing Israeli bombardment, particularly stressing the impact on Palestinians in Gaza. Around 500 attended the forum, which became a platform for members, notably young BIPOC booksellers, to demand that the ABA take a stand and advocate for an Israeli ceasefire.
Members demand ABA action on Israeli-Palestinian conflict
According to Publishers Weekly, one speaker, identifying as “a Jewish person for Palestine,” highlighted the diversity of opinion within the Jewish community regarding the conflict, stating, “Please understand there are a lot of us, and [the war] is not in our name.”
Read: KidLit for ceasefire: thousands urge Biden to stop Gaza war
ABA CEO Allison Hill, responding to the emotional testimony and the reading of a poem by Noor Hindi, acknowledged the depth of feeling and the significance of the topic. She noted, “That was a lot for this community to just hear,“ and “people are coming in with some important things to say related to a painful topic.”
Calls for greater representation within ABA
The forum also touched on broader issues of representation and inclusion within the ABA, with members calling for more actionable steps to reflect and support the diversity of the association’s membership. The discussion extended to concerns about the representation of BIPOC booksellers and the need for the ABA to actively promote diverse voices and perspectives.
The role of booksellers in political advocacy
In the lead-up to the forum, over 70 ABA members had convened informally to discuss the Gaza crisis, underscoring the urgency and gravity of the situation. Attendees vocalised a profound sense of urgency and demand for action regarding the conflict.
Comments from the floor highlighted a range of concerns, with one participant noting, “So many are speaking to support Palestine and against genocide but it’s incredibly strange to not hear from our parent organisation.” The dialogue also connected the Palestinian cause to broader issues of racial justice and representation, spotlighting the underrepresentation of Black-owned stores at the Winter Institute.
Amid calls for the ABA to take a firmer stance, attendees pressed for explicit support, with one bookseller insisting, “We haven’t heard you say ‘Free Palestine, Ceasefire Now!’ We want to hear it from on the stage on behalf of ABA.” Responding, ABA board members Jeff Deutsch and Danny Caine, who are both Jewish, separately said “Ceasefire Now.”
Read: Over 500 writers urge PEN America to ‘take a stand’ for Palestine
Despite these acknowledgements, a feeling of invisibility and the need for more substantial support were palpable, especially after a Black bookseller’s expression of feeling overlooked, to which Hill sincerely replied, “I hear you. We need to do better.”
The forum ultimately served as a call to action for the ABA to more openly and effectively engage with global political issues and to better reflect and support its diverse membership. As the meeting concluded, ABA leadership, including Hill and Caine, expressed their commitment to listening, learning, and taking meaningful action in response to the concerns raised.