DL Mullen, Owner of Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery, Chicago's only Black woman-owned bookstore and gallery space, was forced to temporarily close the store in March due to... well, you can guess. However, Mullen's mission of promoting literacy in the Chicagoland area didn't stop when she closed Semicolon's doors, in fact, she saw a greater need. Mullen and her employees put together 500+ bags full of what she considers "life-changing" books for kids of all ages and hosted a #ClearTheShelves event for those in need to pick up their free reading materials.

Mullen said, "It's necessary, and I think that's the position that independent bookstores are supposed to be in. We know that our margins are slim to nonexistent, but we should still be helping out the community in the most effective way that we can and that's through giving people books." (Read the full feature in Chicago Tribune)

Check out Semicolon on Instagram, and visit their website to purchase a book.