The Lucy Parsons Center seems to keep a low profile, advertising by word of mouth or refusing to promote itself to anyone other than the radical underground opposition to American democracy. It seemed like an exciting endeavor to visit this Anarchist-sponsored bookstore to explore the intricacies of radical art and literature, but what is actually inside the store is far more alienating and pugnacious than expected.
The Lucy Parsons Center (549 Columbus Ave., Boston) is open Monday through Friday from 12 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 6 p.m.
The Center's name was taken from Lucy Parsons, a female anarchist with a diverse racial background who was the unlikely leader of revolutionary activism within Boston during the 19th and early-20th centuries.
Lucy Parsons' lifelong work was dedicated to promoting equal rights and an equal distribution of power among people of color, women, the homeless, political prisoners, and people within the labor movement. Unfortunately, this tiny store lit by weak fluorescent lights awkwardly placed in the middle of a quiet residential street does not seem to suit her late, valiant personality.
Immediately upon entering the Center, there is a vast array of pamphlets and anti-authoritarian paraphernalia lying across a table to the left and shelves to the right full of independently-operated radical zines. Here is a protest, there is a protest—everywhere in the shop there is some advertisement for a local protest. There's no moment of peace visually when walking through the store, and the political message is loud, domineering, and all-too cliche.
On the walls are banners drenched with clashing paint-colored crude declarations like "f--k war," or "f--k Bush." There are postcards for sale with messages like "Don't vote, it will only encourage them," or "Voting only allows us to choose our masters." There is also a TV in the backroom with an assortment of human rights-inspired and anarchist-inspired videocassettes for viewing. There is even a children's book section for the ambitious little political activists.
It is admirable that the Lucy Parsons Center is an independent, non-profit, cooperative, completely run by volunteers, and that the books available for sale in the Center actually have important, progressive messages and historical importance. Respectably, the books are organized into sections targeted at victims of oppression and are entitled "African Americans," "Women's Liberation," "Queer Liberation," "Community Organizing," as well as an alphabetical listing of literature on issues in various countries that face issues of oppression.
On one side of a bookcase in the Center is a critique of the Cuban Revolution annotated and edited by Che Guevara as well as a book on parenting for homosexual couples. On the other side is a book introducing the current female chief of the Cherokee Nation and the nation's aspirations as a historically-oppressed Native American tribe.
The Center also prides itself on organizing grassroots community events. Every Wednesday at 7 p.m. there is a radical movie showing and the Center offers itself up to any organization in need of a meeting space. Additionally, according to their website, they frequently organize lectures, discussions, poetry, music, art and even radical puppetry.
Although the Lucy Parsons Center may have an aggressive, anti-authoritarian message to promote, it alienates the average bookstore clientele and the interior has no problem letting more conservative customers know that the Center directly opposes their presence. An average, politically liberal-minded individual as well may find this radical bookstore and cultural center to be too intimidating and unfortunately, unwelcoming.
There is no middle ground in a revolutionary bookstore such as the Lucy Parsons Center, so know ahead of time that this venue is not for the politically timid.