Breaking Barriers, Book by Book.

“I’m going to strive to make it happen.”

- Mary Taris, Founder/CEO of Strive Publishing & Bookstore

Centering Black Narratives

Strive Publishing and Bookstore aims to inspire community collaboration through publishing stories to heal, teach, learn, and earn, while building an ecosystem that embodies a rich Black culture and heritage.

We honor and celebrate freedom of expression, along with the different opinions and perspectives that exist within the Black community and throughout the African Diaspora. We learn valuable life lessons through sharing our stories, being our authentic selves, taking risks, making mistakes, celebrating successes, and working together to leave a legacy for generations to come.

A woman with curly hair and glasses sitting cross-legged with a laptop, surrounded by green leaves and abstract shapes, appearing thinking or confused.
Illustration of five red books arranged to resemble a bar chart on a patterned background.
A bookstore display with a large poster titled 'Native American Heritage' featuring quotes from various Native American individuals. There are multiple shelves filled with books on the left, a table with open books in the center, and a small table with books in front. The background has decorative items including drums and necklaces, and a red shawl draped on the right. The floor has a patterned rug and wooden flooring.

Publishing

Strive Publishing was founded to help solve two problems: the need for culturally relevant children’s books; and the underrepresentation of Black authors in book publishing.

✨ Coming soon from Strive Publishing…

The children’s picture, Our First Bus Ride, based on the film, Seperate Not Equal: Minnesota’s Integration Story.

Click on the poster to view the 2-minute promo video for the film.

Bookstore

Strive Bookstore aims to bring the joy of book shopping back to Downtown Minneapolis.

Located at 825 Nicollet Mall - 1st Floor in the Medical Arts building