Story by Karen Haliburton

The internationally acclaimed Hue-Man—with a logo whose design means 360 degrees of humanity—is more than a bookstore and quaint café; it’s a cultural oasis where folks come to meet and greet, exchange visions and reshape minds. What’s prominent in Marva’s mind is when world-renowned pediatric neuro­surgeon Benjamin S. Carson had a book signing for his book Take the Risk. “Ben Carson is my idol. He is an amazing human being. He’s selfless. He’s intelligent. He’s so strong. He’s conscious. He’s everything. And he’s a pediatric neurosurgeon—and he’s cute,” Marva laughed. She had known Dr. Carson throughout the years; they both attended the University of Michigan around the same time. “When he came here, it was as if he had a halo around him. That was one of the most amazing times [for me].”
 

You should probably ask her who hasn’t come to Hue-Man; you’d probably get a shorter list of celebrated names. President Bill Clinton had lines around the corner when he had his Hue-Man book signing. Some of the other famous and fabulous who have had book-signing events include Tyler Perry, Bill Cosby, Alicia Keys, Russell Simmons, Toni Morrison, Ruby Dee, Kimora Lee Simmons, Jill Scott, Blair Underwood, Ashanti, Tavis Smiley, Terry McMillan and scholars Dr. Cornell West and Dr. Henry Louis Gates.

Marva is about empowering her people. And she’s taken Hue-Man to think-tank status. There are discussions from race to religion. An upcoming event Marva is mapping out is with author Bliss Broyard, who wrote the book One Drop: My Father’s Hidden Life—A Story of Race and Family Secrets. Bliss found out in her adult life that he had Black blood and unbeknown to her was living previously as White. “I want to have a discussion around what it’s like before and after [knowing you have Black blood]. And someone said to me—Spike Lee must have said it—‘There’s a con-versation before Barack and there’s a new conversation after Barack.’ There has to be a conversation when you thought you were White and when you found out that you were Black. I would imagine that would be a birds-eye view of racism in America,” she said.

The power businesswoman has partnered Hue-Man for various functions with local community organizations like the famed Apollo Theater and The Studio Museum. And besides a monthly e-newsletter, the store also publishes a calendar of events. “And let me tell you something: If by the first of the month I don’t have this calendar, you would think I would have committed a cardinal sin,” Marva resounded. “People are in the door, ‘Where’s the calendar?’ I’m going, ‘My goodness gracious, I didn’t get to it yet. I’m late this month.’ People really love the calendar. It gets a lot of conversation.”