Parable was formed based on a knowing – a knowing that something else is possible. In the midst of racial and health pandemics – opening a business seemed risky but also imaginative timing. The more we thought about it, the more we remembered all of the exploratory solutions that arose during times that felt chaotic and unjust.
In the fall of 2020, a retail space in our neighborhood opened up. We passed by the windows of the empty space day after day and allowed ourselves to dream. We envisioned neighborhood youth popping in and out for a story circle. We could see people singing, dancing, and sharing stories over a warm cup of tea. We imagined elders resting in a big comfy chair with an old book.
We applied for the space and were pleasantly surprised when we were chosen. Daydreaming turned out to be a segue into a reality that we tirelessly worked to write into existence. The intense local and global changes happening around us felt difficult but we knew it was not the end. As we reflected on one of our favorite books, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, we were reminded that “the only lasting truth is Change.”
And so there we were- we planted the seeds for a community space that could offer events and products that affirm the members of our diverse neighborhood in the Mckinley Hill area and beyond. And with many hands and offerings and waterings, we rose to the occasion and are continuing to grow. By holding fundraisers, collecting books, selling at markets and online, we raised enough funds to renovate our current location and officially opened our doors on August 21st, 2021.
We are family-owned, community-owned, lgbtq-owned, Black-owned, woman-owned. Our family has Southern roots and through various migrations, we ended up in the Pacific Northwest. Parable is co-owned by three family members who are cousins and sisters.
