Advocacy in Action Spotlight: Tayler Simon, Founder, Liberation is Lit
At WREN, we are honored to spotlight leaders across South Carolina who are creating change in their communities. This month, we spoke with Tayler Simon, founder of Liberation is Lit, a bookstore that “aims to spark collective action for liberation and community building among readers and book lovers by promoting stories from intersectional experiences.” Tayler started Liberation is Lit after joining the #bookstagram community to find others who were passionate about reading and liberation. Instead, she found a conflict between those who wanted to keep the conversation about books, and passionate Bookstagrammers who made reading political. She found community with these political Bookstagrammers and decided to make reading more than just entertainment.
“There are so many stories out there that light a fire in us to fight for liberation and build community with each other. I want to equip Radical Readers with the tools to become activists in their own right. Liberation is Lit is not just a bookseller, it’s a liberation movement led by the stories we read and the community we build.”
Tell us a little about yourself—who you are, what you’re passionate about, and what drives you.
I am a social worker turned bookseller because I have always loved to read. I like to tell people that I was reading before I could read, and as a child, I carried around a Winnie the Pooh carrying case with my walkman, books, and books on cassette tapes that would beep when you turn the page. As I started my career in sexual assault prevention, I saw the power of storytelling from the #MeToo movement that built communities of support among survivors, but also changed the way society talked about sexual assault. This inspired me to turn my book blog, Liberation is Lit, into a hub where the power of storytelling drives community action and connection.
Can you share a bit about the advocacy or community work you’re involved in?
One of the things I was most excited about when I started Liberation is Lit is that I could broaden the issues I was working with. I am still very passionate about preventing sexual assault, but I know that all issues are interconnected. Now, I do a lot of work on book censorship advocacy, public education, women’s issues more broadly (especially in this anti-abortion climate), LGBTQ+ rights, and immigration issues. Liberation is Lit frequently partners with organizations like Freedom to Read SC, ProTruth SC, ACLU, SC United Coalition, Harriet Hancock Center, Palmetto State Abortion Fund, and Midlands Defensa. Through my Liberation Fund, I am able to give away hundreds of books during youth and mutual aid events. I am also a writer and maintain a blog called Radical Vulnerability, where I discuss the internal work toward liberation, and I also contribute to online publications such as The Black Youth Project.
What does advocacy mean to you on a personal level?
On a personal level, advocacy means using your resources to make change. It doesn’t always have to be marching in protests or testifying at the Statehouse, but showing up in whatever capacity you have with your special gifts. Writing emails to legislators, showing up to school board meetings, writing letters to the editor, building Little Free Libraries, or cooking free meals for your community are all part of advocacy work. You are using your voice, time, money, and/or resources to make a change in your community.
Was there a moment or experience that sparked or deepened your commitment to this work?
Taking the leap to turn Liberation is Lit from a blog to a pop-up bookstore really solidified my commitment to this work. Before, I had always felt so limited by the organizations I worked for, either by the narrow scope of issues we could tackle or by the constraints of working at a public university. But at the end of the day, it always comes back to books. It was the stories I keep engaging with that keep me close to the issues, learning about them in ways that go deeper than policy talking points and datasets. Whether it is fiction or nonfiction work, the stories always ensure that I am never too far removed from the work. And they serve as a great entry point of connection to others doing this work.
What’s one change—big or small—you hope to see in your community?
At the bare minimum, I hope we care for each other more. It is easy to get overwhelmed with our current political climate, both federally and locally. We are more powerful together, and we are plagued by a society that incentivizes us to stay isolated. I am guilty of this as well. I don’t talk enough with my neighbors. But when I am a part of both mutual aid spaces and advocacy at the statehouse, I am filled with so much joy that I don’t have to do this work alone. I always loosely quote a line from this book, The Black Joy Project, by Kleaver Cruz: Advocacy work is like being in a choir; we have to trust the other choir members to keep singing when we need to take a breath.
What would you say to someone who wants to make a difference but isn’t sure where to begin?
This question is funny to me because I always ask this to my guests on my Liberation is Lit podcast. I would say begin by finding community. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the options and to feel alone doing this work, but there are plenty of us doing this work in a lane you may be comfortable with. Or if you see a gap in your community, get some friends together and do something to fill that need. Just know you never have to work alone on anything. And it is way more fun when you make change in community! I have met some of the best people I am happy to call friends in this work.
How can people support you or the work you care about?
There are loads of ways to support Liberation is Lit!
Shop our online store: liberationislit.com
Donate to our Liberation Fund: https://cccfoundation.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4828
Listen to our podcast: https://liberationislit.com/pages/liberation-is-lit-podacast
Follow us on social media to keep up with book and legislative updates we follow: linkin.bio/liberationislit