Worker-stewards push back after Bluestockings’ abrupt closure

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Bluestockings Cooperative announced on Sept. 22 that it would be closing as a business at the end of 2025, marking the end of a 26-year run as an independent feminist bookstore, café, and radical community space. 

According to a statement on the Bluestockings website, daily operations were no longer sustainable due to health, financial and structural challenges. 

The Suffolk Street storefront has already closed its doors. However, Bluestockings says it will continue to fulfill online book orders and membership perks through the end of the year, using remaining funds to pay debts, vendors, and staff handling the transition. 

Meanwhile, on Sept. 24, this "message from the exclusively brown POC stewards fired from BSTOX yesterday" arrived on the store's Instagram account. It was no longer on the feed several hours later...

Outside the shop on Sept. 25, several employees, who identified themselves as worker-owners managing day-to-day operations, held a press conference. They described the sudden closure as a lockout that cut them off from the space, their emails and community resources inside. 

They said they had been working to stabilize their finances — raising more than $64,000 through a GoFundMe, negotiating with distributors, launching book drives, hiring a financial consultant, and posting sales promotions that generated steady revenue as recently as last weekend. An unexpected $6,500 state insurance bill further strained cash flow.

The former staff members criticized a lack of financial transparency and stated that the closure occurred without consultation or severance pay. They emphasized Bluestockings' broader role as a community hub, providing Narcan, fentanyl test strips, free food, a safe bathroom, and a stage for political education and organizing. Donated books, art and mutual aid supplies are now locked inside. 

Calling the lockout "a form of violence," they urged mediation, transparency and a path toward reopening under a community-driven model. A legal and operational fund has been established to cover expenses and explore potential ways forward.

"We don't believe closure is the only option," one speaker said. "This space belongs to the community, and we're committed to finding a just solution."

Here's more of the opening statement read by D this past Thursday: 

The announcement of Bluestockings' imminent closure on Monday, Sept 22, was made to us the same day it was made to the world. If we had even an inkling that this was in the works, we would've alerted community members and groups who rely on the space. Instead, our email and Slack access were revoked and the locks were changed. My coffee mug is still on the counter...

Our situation, when the dust cleared, was approximately $100K in debt with book distributors, so we could not order any more books. We were diligent in every aspect to keep the store open every day, raising over $64,000 via GoFundMe, onboarding a financial consultant, and working with the ICA Group on ownership transfer. Just this summer, Mariame Kaba organized a book drive that brought in over 4,000 titles — our shelves are bursting. On Sunday, the day before the closure was announced, we made over $1,500 in sales. 

We reject being painted as financially unaware or irresponsible workers. The core issues are financial transparency and consensus decision-making. We do not believe sunsetting is the only way forward. We invite the legal worker-owners to share the financial situation so that collective members and community supporters can explore options together. 

The statement, seen later, was signed by "bstox stewards." 

Founded in 1999, Bluestockings spent nearly 22 years on Allen Street before moving to Suffolk in 2021.