Nikkya & Obodo Serendipity

Nikkya Hargrove is the owner of the independent bookstore, Obodo Serendipity Books in Stratford, Connecticut. Before she could successfully open the store, she faced challenges and overcame them step by step to reach where she is today. Nikkya faced many obstacles and achieved many accomplishments while becoming the first Black queer bookstore owner in Connecticut.

Nikkya Hargrove has always dreamed of starting a bookstore and assisting the community. From the very beginning. When she moved to Stratford, CT, she noticed that there were none and decided to open one herself. When asked about her decision to open Obodo, she said: “I opened a bookstore because I love how stories connect people to each other.” Because of her love for books and stories, she always makes sure to visit multiple independent bookstores on vacation. When she opened it, she had the opportunity to bring the community together and share more about herself. Running the bookstore hasn’t always been easy, she says; the hardest part is making money. Nikkya has pushed herself even further toward making her dream a reality while bringing the community together.

Throughout her life, she faced many obstacles. As a child, her mom was addicted to crack, and she had to visit her in prison. “One of the saddest parts about visiting was seeing other children, like little kids, walking around. It's nothing like what you see on television. And for me, when I walked into the prison, it felt as though I too was a criminal. Even though I didn't do anything.” It was hard to visit the prison, but that experience made her want to help people in similar situations.

When I asked what her biggest dream was, it was to be a mom. She said that as a kid, her parents didn't take care of her and that she wanted to give a kid something that she didn’t have. She now has three beautiful children. Another challenge she faced was being a queer mother. When I asked why, she said “Because our society thinks about families as a man and a woman. And so when there's paperwork or an activity that we have to do with our children, there's always titles like father [and] mother, and not parent, or mom and mom.” Nikkya may have faced many challenges but she pushed through them one by one.

Throughout her lifetime, Nikkya has achieved so much. She attended Bard College in upstate New York, and it was one of the best experiences of her life. She also got published in The New York Times writing about motherhood, marriage, race and L.G.B.T.Q. issues. I asked her what it was like, and she said, “It was really fun. One of my writing goals was to be published in the New York Times. So I was lucky enough to be published twice!”

Lastly, I asked her what it felt like to be the first Black queer bookstore owner in Connecticut. She responded, “Great. I don't know. It feels like an opportunity to share a bit of myself with people who walk through the door because I show up as who I am.” She uses her identity and her job to connect with people and bring the community together. As a result, these triumphs have gotten her where she is today.

Nikkya Hargrove always wanted to have a bookstore of her own. But first, she had to face and overcome obstacles. Even though owning a bookstore has challenges, she uses it to bring the community together and give her children a positive experience.

Nikkya’s journey inspired me so much and has shown me to chase my dreams until they come true.