We are on a mission to increase intergenerational literacy and build better community.
Fulton Street is a space to call home. It is a space to build community and to change our city through civic discourse. It is a space on a mission to increase literacy, with people at the center of all the work that we do. It is a space for coffee, books, and a good time. It is a space for you; you who have been longing for a space created with you in mind. At Fulton Street, we center the stories, narratives and lived experiences of people of color and marginalized communities. Welcome to Fulton Street. Welcome home.
WHY FULTON STREET
REPRESENTATION
A pain point for book lovers, parents, and educators alike is finding and accessing literature that represents a real and diverse array of identities and lived experiences. At Fulton Street at least 70% of our books are written by or featuring BBIPOC and/or marginalized communities. We envision a world in which everyone can find themselves or their stories reflected on the shelves and in a book. We believe that representation matters, we believe that who tells the story matters, and we are committed to being a space that prioritizes the voices of the preferably unheard.
LITERACY
31% of adults in Oklahoma function with basic literacy skills and 20% of Tulsans between the ages of 18-24 have less than a high school diploma. We are expanding the definition of literacy and reaching community in new ways through creative programming to ensure that more Tulsans have access to rich learning experiences that enhance literacy skills.
COMMUNITY
According to the Tulsa Equality Indicators Report, compared with white Tulsans, Black Tulsans are 3x more likely to find it difficult to access resources, activities, and opportunities in Tulsa.
Anecdotally, people of color in Tulsa often feel unwelcome in many mainstream establishments. At Fulton Street, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and creating a space designed with BBIPOC in mind.
ONIKAH ASAMOA-CAESAR Onikah Asamoa-Caesar is the owner and founder of Fulton Street Books & Coffee. As a Black woman and feminist lover of books and liberation, Fulton Street Books & Coffee is a love letter to her younger self, a safe space for Black & Brown folks, an intersection and culmulation of her experiences as a Black woman in the United States of America. Though she calls both coasts home (Jersey made, Cali raised, special mention to Hazlehurst Mississippi), Onikah now proudly also calls Tulsa home.
In 2013, she moved to Tulsa as a Teach for America Corps member. After her service, she worked on various state level criminal justice policy initiatives under the office of Senator Mike Johnston in Denver, Colorado. She helped launch the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa, an initiative of the George Kaiser Family Foundation focused on creating a cycle of opportunity for Tulsa's most vulnerable families. She most recently served as a program officer focusing on the foundation's equity work.
When she is not reading, Onikah enjoys good food, great hikes, and traveling with her little one.
