KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Willa's Books and Vinyl, the oldest Black-owned bookstore in Missouri, is closing its final chapter as owner Willa Mae Robinson prepares for her retirement.
The beloved shop, a cultural cornerstone in the Kansas City community, has been a beacon for literature and music enthusiasts for years.
In a heartfelt farewell hosted by The KC Defender, the event served as a final love letter to Robinson's customers and supporters.
"All of these books, all of this music, all of this art — dedicated to you all," Robinson said.
Dozens, including Mayor Quinton Lucas, gathered to honor Robinson and her contributions.
Robinson's passion for reading and music traces back to her upbringing in Arkansas, where her father, an avid reader, instilled in her the joys of literature.
"That was our life," Robinson said. "That's why I am who I am now."
However, it was the profound loss of her daughter and granddaughter that drove Robinson to fill a void in her life.
"I was trying to fill the fact that my children were gone," she said. "And I was just collecting books, books, books, books."
Robinson worked for the post office for 30 years. In the 1990s, she retired and transitioned her personal collection into a public treasure, selling the books at festivals before establishing her storefront in 2007.
"I didn't collect all these books for them to be covered up somewhere," she said. "I want people to enjoy the books."
As she prepares to turn a new page, she is passing the torch to the next generation. The store is set to become an archive under the ownership of The KC Defender, led by founder and executive editor Ryan Sorrell.
"So people from the community can come in for free and look at these rare books," Sorrell said."Being able to nourish that love of literature is something that is extremely important to Mrs. Willa. So that, I think just the Blackness, the Black joy, the safety that people feel being in this space."
The store's legacy will be preserved as a community hub and the headquarters for The KC Defender.
“There’s not enough that can be said about what she represents to our community," Sorrell said. "She went through trials and tribulations. She overcame extreme financial hardships, gentrification, all of these things. She could barely survive being able to run this bookstore. But because of her love for Black people, her love for Black literature, she invested her entire life into this. I am again deeply grateful, I’m excited.”
While Robinson's retirement is bittersweet, she looks forward to writing a new story.
"I am going to miss them," she said. “I just want to thank them. Thank them for taking their time out because they could’ve been doing something else.”
The day also served as a final sale, with attendees leaving with their own pieces of history.
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