Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse is a radical

Far left

Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...

 infoshop

Infoshop

An infoshop is a storefront or social center that serves as a node for the distribution of political information, typically in the form of books, zines, stickers and posters. Infoshops often serve as a meeting space and resource hub for local activist groups....

 located in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and run by a worker-owner collective

Collective

A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...

. Named for anarchist firebrand Emma Goldman

Emma Goldman

Emma Goldman was an anarchist known for her political activism, writing and speeches. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the twentieth century....

, Red Emma's opened in November 2004. It features a fair trade coffee

Fair trade coffee

Fair trade coffee is coffee which is purchased directly from the growers for a higher price than standard coffee. Fair trade coffee is one of many fair trade certified products available around the world. The purpose of fair trade is to promote healthier working conditions and greater economic...

 bar, free computer access and wireless internet

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...

, vegitarian and vegan foods, an extensive stock of books, and a variety of socially aware and radical events including film screenings, political teach-in

Teach-in

A teach-in is similar to a general educational forum on any complicated issue, usually an issue involving current political affairs. The main difference between a teach-in and a seminar is the refusal to limit the discussion to a specific frame of time or an academic scope of the topic. Teach-ins...

s, and community events.

Red Emma's is located at 800 Saint Paul Street in downtown Baltimore's Mt. Vernon district, within walking distance of University of Baltimore, Maryland Institute College of Art, and the Peabody Conservatory. It was formed and revitalized from a previous infoshop named Black Planet Books formerly located on the Fells Point Broadway, then 1621 Fleet Street. While maintaining Black Planet Books' stringent academic tradition, it provides a public face on causes throughout America's history, and offers a look at how capitalism

Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...

 can be changed.

Collective Ownership

Since before the official opening in 2004, all decisions regarding the operations of the space have been made by consensus

Consensus decision-making

Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks the consent, not necessarily the agreement, of participants and the resolution of objections. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as, first, general agreement, and second, group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its...

. The collective of worker-owners has ranged in size from 10 to 20 over the 7 years the shop has been open, usually hovering around 15. Collective meetings are open to the public every Sunday (except the first of the month) at 7pm at the store.

The Red Emma's Collective is a closed shop, organized with the Industrial Workers of the World

Industrial Workers of the World

The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...

. that means that all collective members are also members of IU 660 the One Big Union.

Past Events

Past events have included ex-Weather Underground

Weatherman (organization)

Weatherman, known colloquially as the Weathermen and later the Weather Underground Organization , was an American radical left organization. It originated in 1969 as a faction of Students for a Democratic Society composed for the most part of the national office leadership of SDS and their...

 leader Bernardine Dohrn

Bernardine Dohrn

Bernardine Rae Dohrn is a former leader of the American anti-Vietnam War radical organization, Weather Underground. She is an Associate Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law and the immediate past Director of Northwestern's Children and Family Justice Center...

, presentations by the Beehive Collective, and numerous small concerts, including many by members of the Riot Folk Collective, and Charming Hostess

Charming Hostess

Charming Hostess is a band that grew out of the Oakland avant-rock scene in the mid-1990s.-Current work:Today, the music primarily springs from three women with an emphasis in the body—voices and vocal percussion, handclaps and heartbeats, sex-breath and silence. The work grows from diaspora...

. Imprisoned Black Panther Marshall "Eddie" Conway

Marshall "Eddie" Conway

Marshall Conway was the Minister of Defense of the Baltimore chapter of the Black Panther Party. In addition to his position within the Black Panther Party he was also employed by the United States Postal Service...

 has done call-in readings and talks from jail, and Red Emma's often hosts talks by local activist organizations such as the Baltimore Algebra Project

Algebra Project

The Algebra Project is a national U.S. mathematics literacy effort aimed at helping low-income students and students of color successfully achieve mathematical skills that are a prerequisite for a college preparatory mathematics sequence in high school...

 and the Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle. The Bookstore is also a venue for touring authors.

Red Emma's accolades include "Best Coffeehouse" by the student body of Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University

The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...

 in 2005, and the Baltimore City Paper

Baltimore City Paper

Baltimore City Paper is a free alternative weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1977 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch. Current owner Times-Shamrock Communications purchased the paper in 1987...

's Best of Baltimore awards in 2005 for "Best Wireless Hotspot" and in 2006 for "Best Non-Bar Hangout."

2640

In March 2007, Red Emma's joined with St. John's United Methodist to form 2640, a "a noncommercial, cooperatively managed space for radical politics and grassroots culture." The organization centers around management of the Charles Village church located at 2640 Saint Paul Street. In addition to Sunday services, the facility is used as a community space, hosting events such as speaking engagements with noted consumer activist Ralph Nader, a concert headlined by Negativland, and the City From Below Conference (affectionately known as "Radi-Con" to some).

The Baltimore Free School

In September 2009, classes began at 1323 N. Calvert St., in Baltimore, MD, at the Baltimore Free School. Subjects have included "History of the Middle East", "Small Passive Solar Design", "To Be Tobacco-Free", "Revolutionary Hip Hop", "Terror, Genocide and Human Rights in the 20th Century" and "Stich n Bitch". The classes are taught along the principles of "horizontal organizing, collaborative learning and participatory education", and it's guaranteed that the teachers are not "y'know, fascists". The Free School is volunteer run and any person is invited to teach a class or series of classes with no certification required.

External links

• Redemmas.org, Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse official website
• 2640, a collectively run events venue at redemmas.org
• Baltimore Free School at redemmas.org