Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in North Carolina opened less than 6 months before COVID-19 forced it to close. Now, the Latino bookstore is working to survive and to continue to provide diversity to a predominantly white region. (1/9) NBCNewsThreads
“In classes, there’s hardly anyone that looks like you. I recently went to a symposium and out of the 100 plus people there, I was the only Latina in the room,” Guadalupe Hernandez, a UNC student and former Epilogue employee, said. “That’s why Epilogue’s atmosphere of inclusivity is exactly what's needed. There’s a difference between people who just talk the talk, and people like Jaime and Miranda who do the work for the community.
“We want to make sure stories told by women, minorities, LGBTQ+ authors are the ones we amplify,” Jaime said. “Other places just go for blockbusters, but that’s not what we put out there.”Jaime and Miranda were well acquainted with the challenges of running a small business, particularly in a college town, where rising rents have driven out nearly every small establishment besides chains. The pair had spent the past few months getting into a rhythm, frequently going to sleep around 2 or 3 a.m.
“As owners we feel like we failed because we had to lay off the employees, besides Miranda and myself,” Jaime said. “We’re still figuring out a way to make sure our employees can maintain health insurance, which is critical especially during this time, but that’s been the hardest part, not being able to provide the paychecks we were once able to.”
Jaime and Miranda Sanchez are working to keep Epilogue thriving even as they've ceased brick-and-mortar operations during the coronavirus.“We’re been sending those boxes all the way to California and Washington with little notes,” Jaime said. “The love for one another has no borders. Through this experience, we’ve seen that the sense of community goes beyond all that. ... I’ve never felt the community let us go at it ourselves, which we’re so grateful for.
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