This is a practice that's been going on for years, and it's supported by Black publishing groups and author organizations. Black authors have seen their sales numbers go up, and drastically, since Walmart started using those shelves. More Black authors have been getting published because of this. If a Black woman wants to help her teenage daughter find positive role models in fiction, she knows exactly where to look for a book like that.

Walmart carries Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, Toni Morrison's Beloved, and Nell Painter's Creating Black Americans: African-American History and Its Meanings, 1619 to the Present. Walmart carries these books because it pays off for Walmart to carry these books, so long as they're not buried with dissimilar books. Having that shelf leads to a better informed, more aware group of readers.

Invisible Man and Beloved are serious literature. Walmart doesn't carry much serious literature, but it carries those.

So yeah, it's Walmart, and the people who buy those books give money to Walmart, so that's bad. But having these books visible and available helps Black authors, their publishing houses, and the Black community, especially its young people.

If people here want to find something to get upset about in the race/publishing nexus, you might want to read up on what happened to the cover of Cindy Pon's book _Silver Phoenix_.”

GotttaLaf, I went to my local urban Walmart to find out, but first I stopped at the Border's next door. I was the only white person there. There was an entire wall of black american fiction and about a dozen people were standing in that section. But when I went to the regular fiction section, not only wasn't Toni Morrison there (or any other black authors), neither were any customers.
I then went to the Walmart “book department” and it's only about 15 feet of shelf space tucked into a little corner with NO categories. And the books were mostly written by black authors. Didn't bother me that there weren't many (of any) white authors represented.
This is called retail merchandising, not race.
And if you see my post above, you may not like Wal-Mart, but the company has increased dramatically black author sales. The black publishing industry loves Wal-Mart. And if a black urban woman is looking for a positive role model for her daughter, sho knows just where to go.

Some Historically Black Colleges do it, too. Take a look at Huston-Tillotson’s library catalog, and see where the books about President Obama are shelved.

http://library.htu.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First

I shopped at walmart (notice, not capitalized) until I saw their book section…….I think this is DISGRACEFUL . ADD TO THIS THE FACT THAT….. they discriminate against women also…..fighting a class action suit because they pay women less……if they handle it on a one on one basis they can frighten an individual woman into dropping the suit…. a class action will cost them much more…..The lawyers may get most of it but wALMART WILL PAY MUCH MORE……DONE WITH SHOPPING AT wALMART……..

In 2008, when both of Obama's books were on all the BEST SELLERS LISTS, where were his books at my local Walmart? No, not in the best sellers section, but in the black literature section. Ahem, maybe it should have been both?? Just sayin…. I don't think I've even set foot in a Walmart since 2008 anyhow. Avoid it like head lice.

Hmmm, so if I'm browsing for a fiction novel…I would have to search both the 'black' authors' section & then the 'other colour' authors' section…have I got that right? Or is there yet another section for 'yellow' & possibly for 'brown'? Or does it go by nationality as well, as in African American, Japanese Canadian…well, I'm getting silly…why would Wally Mart carry anything by Japanese Canadians!

Good grief…no not a big deal compared to the toilet spin the U.S. is in…but heck, it's a start to try to be somewhat colour-blind with things where it really doesn't matter.

And I'll say it again, most bookstores do the same thing, it's called categorizing literature. Go to any big box bookstore and you'll probably find a section for African American literature. I agree there is racism in this country and it's a damn shame, but this is really reaching. I respect your opinion, but this seems to be a kneejerk reaction triggered by the racial climate of this country. We are so on edge, we thing even the most miniscule thing is racist and that in itself is part of the problem.

Blows that alphabetical thingy out the window… just yet another reason I have never, nor will I shop at a BIG BOX chain.
Buy Local or quit whining.

Wow, somebody is a little late with this story; Walmart has been doing this for years. They aren't the only ones either, Target and other book retailers do it too. I'm not sure this anything to get riled up about either, but that's just my opinion.