| Summary: | Bookstore owner Emma Rodgers was born in September, 1944. A mid-1960's graduate of Spelman College, in 1977, she co-founded a mail-order business for books, which became the "brick and mortar" concern, Black Images Book Bazaar in Dallas. A preeminent bookseller of 30 years, Rodgers was credited for "shepherding" African-American authors from unknown writers to the forefront of American culture. Her dynamic support in association with the iconic Black Images Book Bazaar store brought commercial and critical acclaim to numerous multi-cultural storytellers including J. California Cooper, Edward P. Jones, E. Lynn Harris and Edward Ball. In 1995, she founded the book industry Romance Slam Jam conference event. In 2003, the Emma Awards, were named for her to honor excellence in romance-action literature. A supporter of literacy, education, and the arts, she served on various boards and organizations. In 2007, she was appointed Commissioner, City of Dallas, City Plan.
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