Sadie’s Books and Beverages is ‘more than a bookstore’ because the mission of the space is to rejuvenate, cultivate and educate the community.

Rejuvenation is a focus at Sadie’s as we offer a space for individuals to express their experiences creatively. We use these opportunities for community engagement to strengthen tools of mental hygiene within the community. Our open mic nights have hosted a wide range of vocal expression and poetry performed by award-winning poets like Fanta Ballou and local indie artists such as: Yvnv, Smittie. We have expanded to collaborate with other local non-profits such as perinatal organization MidHudson Chocolate Milk to operate as a gallery, workshop and event space as they have offer their support services for the community. Additionally, we provide opportunities for economic growth by inviting local vendors to participate in our ‘pop-up shop’ and displaying their items for purchase in the store. We strive to encourage literacy and grow a love for reading through our collaboration with Libro.fm for its audiobook collection.

Cultivation is about establishing a practice of maintaining healthy relationships. This portion of our philosophy focuses on the tangible resources we offer the community. ‘Crown Kits’ were developed to alleviate the stress of the costs of maintaining a healthy hair regimen. Encouraging a positive relationship with the natural curl pattern of Black hair is an act of reclamation. These kits address the emotional nuances of systemic oppression in a way that celebrates the diverse beauty of curly and coily hair. Our annual Back to the Future drive collects items for college-bound students to ease their transition into adulthood. The vulnerability of the experience is often overshadowed by the achievement. Our Back to the Future drive collects cleaning materials, laundry supplies, food items, and other miscellaneous materials that may be an unexpected cost for college freshmen. 

Education at Sadie’s is how the experience enhances your personhood. Our ‘Sidewalk Math’ is a summertime favorite! At parks and small businesses across the city, we place math equations in English and Spanish for community youth to solve. Collaborating with providers such as Ausome Genius allows us to offer resources of support and coordinate events like ‘Sensory Saturdays’ for children with sensory processing disorder. These events also provide parents an opportunity to create their own village of support. We are expanding that village of support and are establishing homework huddle Fridays as well as intentionally integrating educational components into every youth program, workshop and event. The culturally congruent programming will honor the child's personhood and provide pathways to maintaining a healthy relationship with discipline as a joyous consistency.

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Yaa Yaa Catherine Whaley-Williams

Founder, President