Hakim's Bookstore & Gift Shop

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Sanctuary

Philadelphia's first Black-owned bookstore as a living civil-rights landmark, still stewarded by the founder's family.

Fine Dining

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Hakim's Bookstore & Gift Shop

Philadelphia · Fine Dining · Verified Sanctuary

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Founded in 1959 from Dawud Hakim's trunk-based bookselling, this family-run West Philadelphia shop preserves Black history, literature, children's books and Afrocentric gifts while carrying a multigenerational civil-rights legacy.

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Curated Insider Notes (best rooms, timing, neighborhood context from our editorial team)
Cultural Safety Briefing (what to expect as a traveler of color at this destination)
Community Check-In Reviews (verified member experiences from travelers who've visited)
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Insider Notes

A meaningful 52nd Street stop where travelers can buy from a historic family business and encounter Philadelphia's Black intellectual and activist history through books.

The Sanctuary Story

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/hakims-bookstore-philadelphia-pennsylvania-historical-landmark/

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Highest-rated by member visit check-ins

Press & Recognition

"Pennsylvania Historical Marker dedicated in 2023"

"the Enterprise Center describes Hakim's as the state's oldest operating Black-owned bookstore and a long-running site of Black learning and cultural exchange."

Pennsylvania Historical Marker dedicated in 2023

the Enterprise Center describes Hakim's as the state's oldest operating Black-owned bookstore and a long-running site of Black learning and cultural exchange.