Introducing our two newest Glynwood Ambassadors, Danielle and Gabrielle Davenport, the brilliant minds behind BEM Books and More! These talented individuals are the co-founders of BEM Books & More, a bookstore and culinary destination in Brooklyn devoted to the food and literature of the African diaspora across genres and borders. Their mission is to amplify Black storytelling and foodways from a global and interdisciplinary perspective.

Danielle is an actor and writer with an impressive portfolio in film, television and theater. Gabrielle is a bookseller and curator whose work centers on forging community through music and food. They both serve on the Brooklyn Book Festival's nonfiction committee.

We are truly excited to witness the positive influence that Danielle and Gabrielle will undoubtedly bring as Glynwood Ambassadors. To learn more about Gabrielle and Danielle, be sure to read their full bios below:

Danielle Davenport is a co-founder of BEM | books & more, a bookstore and culinary destination devoted to food and literature of the African diaspora across genres and borders. BEM exists at the intersection of all things Black and culinary and literary, partnering with major publishers as well as cultural organizations including the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Food and Drink, the James Beard Foundation, and BRIC in furtherance of BEM’s mission of amplifying Black storytelling and foodways from a global and interdisciplinary perspective.

Danielle is also an actor and writer with a range of film, TV, and theater credits. Her passion for food & words has extended to work in restaurants and as a translator, tutor, and editor over the course of her career. She has served as an Experiential Learning Lab Fellow at the NYU School of Law and is an alumna of Barnard College where she graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Theater and Comparative Literature & Society with a focus on the African diaspora in Latin America and the Caribbean. She has recently served on the Brooklyn Book Festival Nonfiction Committee and Center for Fiction First Novel Fête Committee and was named to Cherry Bombe’s Future of Food 50 List.

Gabrielle Davenport is an Oakland-raised, Brooklyn-based bookseller and curator whose work centers on forging community through music and food. In January 2021, she and her sister launched BEM | books & more, the bookstore for Black food literature. Since then, they have built a platform for and with readers, chefs, artists, and writers across the diaspora and are preparing to open their permanent brick & mortar home in Bed-Stuy. BEM has been featured in Bon Appétit, Essence, Eater, Cherry Bombe, and The Guardian among others.

After graduating from Barnard with a degree in Africana Studies, Gabrielle programmed music, dance, and performance across New York as well as public institutions across the country. She worked on The Mile-Long Opera, bringing 1000 opera singers to the High Line, produced projects with Carrie Mae Weems and Angélique Kidjo, and was on the curatorial team at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival for several years. Gabrielle is also a member of the Brooklyn Book Festival Nonfiction Committee and was named to Cherry Bombe’s Future of Food 50 List. She cooks and sings in her free time and is always eating a snack.