Nestled in the heart of Oak Park, Underground Books is one of the remaining Black-owned bookstores in the nation. The bookstore is a community hub and gathering place where people can share stories and read the latest books.
At the heart of the bookstore was beloved owner Georgia Peat West, affectionately known as Mother Rose. Regulars remember her exuberant personality and habit of greeting everyone with a warm smile when they visited her bookstore.
On December 23, 2024, West died at the age of 75 after a long battle with cancer. Her sons, Kevin Johnson and Ronald West were by her side.
Those who knew West described her as a pillar in the Oak Park community, creating a safe place to gather and making sure there were books to read. She was a mentor and a friend to many.
West grew up in Oak Park, where she graduated from Sacramento High School like her father, George Peat, and her two sons. She also graduated from Sacramento City College, then worked as a registered nurse for 27 years before becoming the owner and manager of Underground Books.
Her eldest son, Kevin Johnson, became a three-time NBA All-Star and Sacramento’s first Black Mayor.
Underground Books opened in 2003 on 35th and Broadway. It was a part of the 40-acre complex — a project whose goal was to revitalize Oak Park and create a community gathering place.
The complex was developed by Johnson’s nonprofit, St. HOPE, and includes the Guild Theatre, Old Soul, Fixins Soul Kitchen, World Class Faders barber shop and Old Soul Coffee shop, among others.
The bookstore is one of the country's few remaining African American bookstores. Its name comes from Harriet Tubman and the enslaved people who couldn't read. The bookstore's tagline is "Underground Books: Find Your Freedom."
Oak Park lost its last library in the 1970s and West wanted to ensure that books would be available for the community. According to Dru Burks, the director of St. HOPE and Guild Theater, this was a huge factor in the development.
Burks said he’s known Mother Rose for his whole life. He was one of the original students of St. HOPE, which started as an after-school program in 1989.
“Mother Rose was a milestone in the community of Oak Park itself,” Burks said. “When you mentioned Oak Park, you knew Mother Rose. She was a stepping stone in building Underground Books because there's no library in Oak Park.”
Georgia West, also known as Mother Rose, the owner and manager of Underground Books was known as a pillar in the Oak Park Community. Photo courtesy of Brian Rhee
The Guild Theater — an extension of St. HOPE — and Underground Books often collaborate on projects, most notably their Speaker Series, where authors would have discussions and book signings at both locations.
Burks said what he’d miss most about West was her presence in the community.
“She taught us Black excellence: Of how we should be and structure ourselves, like a mom would,” Burks said. “She was a mother, not only to Kevin and Ronnie, but she was a mother to a lot of us … and I think that is the part that [we] will miss the most.”
St. HOPE CEO Cassandra Jennings knew West for over 30 years and described her as a pillar of excellence who always wanted the best for her community.
“She wouldn't take anything less,” Jennings said. “Whether it was businesses that came in or people that came in that needed to be served. She was always open and so gracious to everybody at every level, the young and the older; everybody respected her.”
Adrianne Hall, St. HOPE's chief operating officer, said West was passionate about Oak Park, specifically St. HOPE. She often referred to West as the organization's “cheerleader.”
Hall said West was proud of all the kids attending St. HOPE. She said West embodied the service for others she received from her grandfather and passed on to the next generation of her children.
“She was so visible at all of the events, whether it was our block talk parties or the Speaker Series, all of the basketball games she would go to,” Hall said. “But she really embodied that and always wanted to help others, particularly people from her own community of Oak Park and St. HOPE.”
Every year, a Sacramento high school student receives a $5,000 Peat scholarship, named after her father.
“She has always been very engaged in the process of selection and the presentation at Sac High for years, in presenting that to a scholar, which is very significant for anybody, certainly for the Sac High scholars as they continue their education,” Jennings said.
One of the initiatives of Underground Books that West founded was a children's literacy program: What started as a children's story time series grew into a monthly program called “Let’s Read Oak Park.”
“As the program grew in service, we also added books [for] the adults, to the fam, to the parents, so that they could read while their kids were reading,” Jennings said. “It was just a way to continue to provide because we know readers are leaders. Leaders are readers. So we're trying to grow leaders in this community.”
In an interview with CapRadio’s Insight, Jennings said even with West’s battle with cancer that she never lost her hope or her joy and she kept loving the community.
“We never knew that she even had an issue on that journey,” Jennings said. “It just reminds me of let's keep giving, let’s keep encouraging, even when people are down and recognize that we never know where people are in their lives. But we can always be a light in the dark.”
A memorial service will be held for West at 10 a.m. on Jan. 23 at Saint Paul Church in Oak Park. It is open to the public.
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