BROCKTON, Mass. — Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the country, according to a report by “Go Daddy’s” Venture Forward Initiative.
One of them is a woman from Brockton.
Ellie Paris-Miranda just opened a bookstore café in the heart of downtown.
It’s called the “Dr. Ellie Paris Social Bookstore and Ice Cream Café.”
Her dream is to elevate her community through the power of reading.
The café is a cool spot to hang with a hot drink or to grab a bite to eat.
Paris-Miranda has a Ph.D. and teaches business at Wheaton College.
She also loves to cook.
The shelves are lined with books about financial literacy and economic justice.
The store is the perfect space to nourish the body and nourish the soul.
“This is the first of its kind,” said the Cape Verdean native. “It’s a social impact bookstore and café that aims to foster literacy, education, and upward economic stability.”
Paris-Miranda was raised by a single mother who had her when she was just 17 years old.
Paris-Miranda says she learned at a young age the value of an education and the transformative power a book can have on a young person’s life.
She hopes her journey can be an example to others.
“This is a young woman who got here not too long ago who was able to invest in her education without any English skills and here she is,” said Paris-Miranda as she choked up with emotion. “Here she is, doing something positive not only for herself but for her family.”
Paris-Miranda was committed to starting her business in Brockton, the community in Massachusetts with the highest percentage of Black residents.
“The truth is that this is a much more special community than how it is being pictured.”
Carmelia Jackson agrees. She works in the Brockton Public School system and likes the example the café sets for young people.
“I think it means great things to see someone of color, a woman of color, that our students and our community can look at and see themselves and can be inspired to do something for themselves. It’s a very powerful statement.”
Adinah Pilgrim, Ph.D., is also a professor and longtime resident of Brockton.
“We know that education and literacy are tools that free our minds, free our people for our community so this bookstore being here is right on time.”
Most importantly, Paris-Miranda hopes she’ll be a role model for her daughters, as she changes the world, one book at a time.
“That is definitely the American Dream to ensure that we empower not only our communities but also the world about the value of education.”
Paris-Miranda is already thinking about adding more stores and is in discussions with several communities.
She wants to make sure any new bookstores go in areas where literacy levels are low.
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