In the heart of the Atlanta University Center is 44th & 3rd Bookseller, a family-run bookstore owned by Cheryl Lee, 65, her husband Warren Lee, 68, and their daughter, Allyce Lee, 29.

Contrary to the assumption that the store’s name hints at a street in a metropolis like Chicago or New York, for example, the name has an entirely different meaning, according to the Lees.

The combination of the numbers 44 and 3 pays homage to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, according to Warren Lee. During a visit to a Chicago bookstore, Warren Lee noticed the absence of Obama’s books in the store’s Black book section. This inspired Lee to make sure there would be a dedicated section in their own store. ”We were looking for the Black section, and at what was featured when I looked at it, there was something I didn’t see,” Warren said. “I called the manager and asked him to look at this section and tell me what was missing.” Before the manager could answer Lee, he added, “I said, you know, what’s missing is that you don’t have a book written by Barack Obama. And he’s the president, and this is his hometown.”

The “3rd” in the store’s name represents the themes it embodies—life, literature, and legacy—symbolized by numbers hanging above the cashier’s counter. The Lees take pride in the books they sell focusing on African-American authors and those from the African diaspora, featuring designated sections for self-help and international authors. The sections were curated and designed by Cheryl Lee’s niece, Rachel Brown, an Assistant Art Director at Spelman College.

Each member of the Lee family has a role in the bookstore; Allyce serves as the store’s head of marketing and public relations. After graduating from…