Una Mulzac facts for kids
Una Mulzac (born April 19, 1923 – died January 21, 2012) was an amazing African American bookseller. She started a famous store called the Liberation Bookstore in Harlem. This bookstore was special because it focused on books about politics and the Black Power movement. It was a very important place for the community.
Una's Early Life
Una Mulzac was born in Baltimore. But she grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her dad, Hugh Mulzac, was a socialist. This means he believed in sharing resources fairly among everyone. He was also the first Black captain of a ship in the United States Merchant Marine. This was a big achievement!
Una went to Girls' High School in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where she lived. After school, she worked for a short time as a secretary at a publishing company called Random House.
Adventures in Guyana
In 1963, Una moved to a place called British Guiana. There, she joined a political group called the People's Progressive Party. She even helped run their bookstore in the capital city, Georgetown. Sadly, she was hurt in a bomb attack at that bookstore.
Helping the Community
Una later became a leader in the Harlem chapter of the NAACP. The NAACP is a very old and important organization. It works to make sure all people, especially African Americans, have equal rights. Una's grand nephew, Sharrif Simmons, is a poet and songwriter.
The Liberation Bookstore
Una Mulzac returned to Harlem from British Guiana. A year later, in 1967, she opened her own store. She called it the Liberation Bookstore. This bookstore quickly became a very important place. It was similar to another famous store. That store was Lewis Michaux's African National Memorial Bookstore. Both stores helped share important ideas and books with their communities.
