28-02-2025
Leah Johnson's latest chapter
Indianapolis author, entrepreneur and advocate Leah Johnson is readying for the release of a new book as she gains new information about her bookstore's historic past.
Why it matters: Her work as a writer and the owner of Loudmouth Books is all about offering protection and support to the overlooked and oppressed.
Driving the news: Johnson's next book, " Bree Boyd is a Legend," is set to release on March 4.
The fantasy novel is a follow-up to her 2023 release " Ellie Engle Saves Herself" which puts Ellie's rule-loving BFF in the starring role after she gains superpowers of her own.
Johnson describes the book as "the Akeelah and the Bee meets Matilda (but, like, if Lavender had telekinesis instead) book of my dreams."
State of play: Johnson also recently learned that her independent bookstore on the 200 block of East 16th Street is a former Green Book site, something she was unaware of when she opened Loudmouth in 2023.
"I had no idea that our building was such an integral part of the state's Black history. It makes sense to me now why I was immediately left with a sense of rightness when I saw it for the first time, though," Johnson told Axios. "Maybe something in me just knew that Loudmouth was a part of a continuum of Black history."
Flashback: The "Negro Motorist Green-Book" was a guide printed between 1936 and 1967 that highlighted businesses that were safe for Black travelers during an era of legalized segregation and racial violence.
Believed to be built in 1928, the building operated as the Jacobs Cleaners Building under owner Meyer O. Jacobs when it was listed in the Green Book.
What's she saying: " Loudmouth is in the business of providing a safe haven to marginalized people in the midst of what doesn't always feel like a safe state of political climate, and that mission is in the very bones of the building we occupy," Johnson said. "That's a beautiful thing. And for our business to be Black-owned only makes it even more significant."
What's next: Johnson's book launch event is 6pm March 8 at Loudmouth Books.
Attend for free with an RSVP.
