August 10, 2025
The organization was founded by Kevin Johnson, former NBA player, Sacramento bookstore owner, and ex-mayor.
On Aug. 6, the National Association of Black Bookstores, a member-based nonprofit organization launched in an effort to promote literacy, amplify Black voices and to preserve Black culture.
The organization was founded by Kevin Johnson, a former NBA player and the owner of Underground Books in Sacramento, California, as well as the former mayor of the city from 2008-2016.
As Johnson told Publisher’s Weekly, he wanted to honor the memory of his mother “Mother Rose” Peat West, the original founder of Underground Books who died in December 2024.
“I wanted to start NAB2 to honor her legacy because she cherished Black bookstores and wanted to see them thrive,” he told the outlet. “My goal in helping to found the organization was to bring the experts together, couple them with significant resources, and ensure that communities could reap the benefits of Black bookstores for generations to come.”
Although the American Booksellers Association has been criticized for not adequately addressing the needs and concerns of Black booksellers, Johnson stressed that those booksellers not join his organization as an alternative to the ABA because he wants to work with them to create more opportunities for Black bookstores.
Among the board members of Johnson’s group are Maati Primm of Marahall’s Music and Book Store in Jackson, Miss., which was founded in 1938, and Yvonne Black of Hakim’s Bookstore in Philadelphia, founded in 1959, as well as and Onikah Asamoa-Caesar of Fulton Street Books & Coffee in Tulsa, Okla., and Dara Landry of Class Bookstore in Houston, both of which were founded in 2020.
In addition, other board members include Jordan Harris of Alkebu-Lan Images in Nashville; Janet Webster Jones of Source Booksellers in Detroit; Blanche Richardson of Marcus Books in Oakland, Calif.; and Troy Johnson of African American Book Lit Club in Tampa, Fla. Lucille O’Neal, best known as the mother of former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal, and also an author in her own right, is also a board member.
The board members, specifically Jones and Landry, also noted that NAB2 could be used to build out an entire supply chain to support Black authors and Black bookstores.
According to Jones, NAB2 is “an effort to pull together Black booksellers and stores in an overarching organization that would not just advocate, but also partner with other aspects of the industry. We want these new bookstores to use the resources that are just waiting for them,” Jones continued. “NAB2 can help them with all that. This organization can support and assist in ways we haven’t even figured out yet.”
Ahead of the announcement from Johnson and NAB2, the Black Bookstore Coalition, headed by Ramunda Lark Young, the owner of Washington D.C.’s Mahogany Books, released a public letter disclosing that Johnson wanted the groups to unite under his leadership, but her group ultimately decided against his proposal.
“After thoughtful discussion and a leadership vote, we’ve decided not to align with [NAB2] and will continue our work independently,” Young wrote in her letter. “Our decision was shaped by member concerns about the significant overlap in missions, the timing and rollout of the request, and elements of Mr. Johnson’s public record that warrant reflection and due diligence.”
She continued, “We believe there’s room for multiple efforts to thrive. Groups such as the ABA’s DEI Committee, regional bookselling associations, and many others are also working hard on initiatives that support us and this ecosystem. We believe this work must always be rooted in care, community trust, shared values, and collective vision.”
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