Baltimore, MD — [October 28, 2025] — Obelisk Productions is proud to announce the development of They Said: Niggas Don’t Read – The Rise & Fall of the Black Bookstore, a feature documentary set to begin production in January 2026.
The film traces the rise, cultural significance, and attempted suppression of Black bookstores across the United States—once vibrant centers of knowledge, political organizing, and community empowerment. Through the voices of former bookstore owners, writers, activists, and patrons, the project explores the Black bookstore ecosystem of readers, authors, publishers, and sellers who built these spaces—alongside those who sought to dismantle them.
Directed by two Baltimore-based filmmakers, Sadiq Ali & Karim Ali, with direct ties to this movement, They Said: Niggas Don’t Read is both a deeply personal story and a national chronicle of cultural resistance and resilience.
To bring this essential story to the screen, the filmmakers are inviting bibliophiles, cultural enthusiasts, and supporters of untold histories to join the movement. A crowdfunding campaign launches Thursday, November 6, 2025, in Baltimore.
“This film is more than a documentary—it’s a reclamation,” says co-director Sadiq Ali. “Black bookstores weren’t just places to buy books; they were spaces of safety, imagination, and political power. Their story deserves to be remembered, honored, and shared widely.”
W. Paul Coates—one of the film’s primary subjects, founder of Black Classic Press, and father of acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates—adds:
“I am excited to be a part of this project and to also show folks Black bookstores actually haven't gone anywhere and this film is about that past and much more about our future.”
This is a film built by community, for community. To make it possible, we need your support. Contribute to the campaign, share the story, and be part of preserving a vital piece of American history that still shapes our future.
Follow along and join our mailing list at ndrfilm.com and on Instagram @theysaidNDR.
Press Contact:
Blair McQueen
obeliskproductionsllc@gmail.com | 470-775-2931
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