BLK + BRWN

BLK + BRWN is a Black woman-owned independent bookstore at 104 1/2 W 39th St in Kansas City’s Midtown, founded by Cori Smith — a Wyandotte County, Kansas native — and opened on Juneteenth (June 19) 2021 to honor her late brother Cody. Billed as Kansas City’s first “smart bookstore,” it stocks works by Black and Brown authors and pairs select titles with QR codes that unlock playlists, author interviews, and other curated experiences.¹²³

Description

BLK + BRWN is an independent bookstore at 104 1/2 W 39th St in the Midtown / 39th Street district of Kansas City, Missouri.⁴⁵ The shop carries books exclusively by Black and Brown authors and is described as “Kansas City’s first smart bookstore” — every book is paired with a QR code that unlocks supplementary content such as playlists, author interviews, speeches by Black activists, and other curated experiences meant to bring the stories to life.¹²

The store deliberately rejects conventional bookstore organization; titles are not alphabetized or shelved by genre. Owner Cori Smith curates by instinct — “I go off of my spirit. That’s how I pick the books out” — with the stated aim of making Black and Brown readers feel that their stories are valued.¹ The space functions as a community hub for literature, conversation, and gathering as much as a retail shop.²³

As of 2026 the bookstore lists regular hours of Wednesday through Saturday, 12:00–5:00 p.m.⁵

Ownership and history

BLK + BRWN was founded by Cori Smith, known locally as “The Local Book Pusher.”¹ Smith grew up in Wyandotte County, Kansas — she attended Kiddi Kollege on Quindaro for pre-K and kindergarten, then went on to Sumner Academy of Arts & Sciences. She left the metro to attend Clark Atlanta University, completed one year of law school in Florida, then returned to Kansas City.²⁶ Back in KC she built a career in public-interest work: she served as program director at Justice in the Schools (providing legal services to students and families in the Kansas City and Hickman Mills school districts) and as project director for Legal Aid of Western Missouri, and coached high-school volleyball in the Kansas City, Kansas Public School District.¹²

The bookstore was opened in direct response to the death of her brother, Cody Smith, who was killed in a car crash in March 2019 at age 29. Cori describes Cody as “the creative one” between them and frames BLK + BRWN as a space that represents what he always stood for.⁶ She also founded Cody’s Homies, a mentorship program for Black youth named in his memory.¹ Smith conceived the BLK + BRWN concept in 2019 and initially targeted a June 2020 opening; the COVID-19 pandemic delayed those plans. She discovered the 39th Street storefront by chance while driving, recognized it as ideal, and accelerated her timeline to open on Juneteenth — June 19, 2021 — the day the federal Juneteenth holiday was first observed.¹³

Smith’s curation philosophy centers on what she calls “Blassics” — classic texts that shaped Black thought — alongside contemporary works by Black and Brown authors. The store deliberately rejects alphabetical or genre-based organization; Smith curates by instinct, stating “I go off of my spirit.”¹² In September 2024 she launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the 39th Street store make rent, framing the situation as “a vulnerable call to action for public support.” BLK + BRWN celebrated its 4th anniversary in June 2025 with a Juneteenth Block Party drawing over 20 vendors and hundreds of attendees.⁷⁸

Links

• Official site: https://www.blkbrwn.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLKBRWNKC/

Sources

Disputes

Street-number variance: the official site and NewPages list the address as 104 1/2 W 39th St, while Yelp’s listing header renders it as 108 W 39th St. Both place the store on the same 39th Street block in Midtown KCMO; the official-site value (104 1/2) is used here as authoritative. — definitive reconciliation of the half-address vs. 108 discrepancy.

Footnotes

1. https://startlandnews.com/2021/08/blk-brwn-kansas-city/ — asserts: owner Cori Smith (“The Local Book Pusher”); Black woman-owned brick-and-mortar bookstore; opened June 2021; “smart bookstore” concept with QR codes; books by Black and Brown authors, unalphabetized/non-genre shelving; Smith’s KC roots (Legal Aid of Western Missouri, KCKPS volleyball coach, Cody’s Homies mentorship); Smith’s curation philosophy. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. https://www.thepitchkc.com/blk-brwn-interview/ — asserts: Cori Smith grew up in Wyandotte County, Kansas (Kiddi Kollege on Quindaro, Sumner Academy of Arts & Sciences); attended Clark Atlanta University; one year law school in Florida; returned to KC; “Blassics” curation concept; address 104 1/2 W 39th Street (described as Westport/Midtown); community programs including Cody’s Homies. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

3. https://www.shelf-awareness.com/theshelf/2021-06-21/blk_brwn_bookstore_opens_in_kansas_city_mo..html — asserts: bookstore opened June 19, 2021 (Juneteenth); 104 1/2 West 39th Street, Kansas City, MO; Cori Smith (previously program director at Justice in the Schools); store carries poetry, autobiographies, cookbooks, children’s books; Smith worked in KCKPS and Hickman Mills school districts legal services. ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. https://www.yelp.com/biz/blk-brwn-kansas-city — asserts: BLK + BRWN bookstore on W 39th St, Kansas City, MO; listing updated April 2026 (operating status); address listed (104 1/2 / 108 W 39th St — see disputes). ↩

5. https://www.blkbrwn.com/ — asserts: official site; address 104 1/2 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64111; woman-owned independent Midtown KC bookstore; hours Wednesday–Saturday 12–5 p.m.; QR-paired smart-bookstore experiences. ↩ ↩²

6. https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/black-owned-book-store-was-opened-by-kc-woman-to-honor-brother-acts-as-safe-space — asserts: bookstore opened to honor her brother Cody Smith, killed in a car crash March 2019 age 29; Cori describes him as “the creative one”; bookstore acts as a safe space representing what Cody stood for. ↩ ↩²

7. https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2024-09-29/kansas-city-blk-brwn-bookstore-turns-to-crowdfunding-to-help-it-make-rent — asserts: September 2024 crowdfunding campaign to help the 39th Street store make rent; Cori Smith owner; passion project / lifeline for Black and Brown readers; “vulnerable call to action.” ↩

8. https://kansascitydefender.com/arts-culture/blk-brwn-bookstore-celebrates-4-years-with-juneteenth-block-party/ — asserts: BLK + BRWN held 4th anniversary Juneteenth Block Party June 25, 2025; 20+ vendors, live DJ, games, local art; hundreds of attendees; store operational as of June 2025. ↩