A bookstore unlike any other: Inside Milwaukee's Darick Books

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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Darick Spears started writing down his thoughts in school notebooks as a child. Today, his writing has grown to publishing more than 70 books and running his own bookstore.

“I’m a music producer, a film writer, an entrepreneur and author, husband, child of Milwaukee and child of God,” said Spears.

He said he picked up a pen and started writing as early as he can remember.

“When I was five or six I started writing. I couldn’t stop,” said Spears.

“I grew up in Milwaukee. Born and raised on the north side… I got involved in the Chapter 220 program where I got go from the north side to Mequon. Every day, it was like a trip back and forth to two different worlds,” said Spears. “It’s like you don’t fit in on both sides so my world began inside of a notebook. I got wedged. I don’t feel like I fit in anywhere so my source of speaking to the world was through creativity.”

Spears said it’s those experiences that brought him to the place he’s at today.

“Darick Books. The first bookstore of it’s kind… My bookstore is a representation of going against the odds,” said Spears.

Spears wrote every book in his shop and said some of the struggles he wrote about as a teen still ring true today.

“Human beings, if we take away color, take away all of that, we all have the same type of issues, you know? Feel too fat one day, too short,” said Spears. “Right now, artists should be the most inspired. I can’t stop writing… Be part of the solution, not the problem. Hate is the common denominator for racism, for prejudice. We can’t fight hate with hate. We can pray and show love.”

With many chapters of his story unwritten, Spears said he has hope his bookstore will make a difference.

“Darick Books. This bookstore on this corner is going to change the world,” said Spears. “The pen is a mighty, powerful thing. It’s a mighty sword."

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