St. HOPE: Home
Let’s Read Oak Park
Underground Books
Let’s Read Oak Park takes place on the 2nd Saturday of each month and is a FREE reading & exploration event for children ages 5-12
About this event
Elementary school aged children explore books and participate in hands on activities with an emphasis on cultural themes. Students will engage in interactive book readings, and select a free book of their choice to take home and encourage reading together as a family!
Space is limited to 12 per event so sign up today!
St. HOPE Academy Founded by Kevin Johnson
July 1989
St. HOPE began in 1989 as an afterschool program in a portable classroom at Sacramento High School
After 13 years, St. HOPE realized that an after school program simply wasn’t enough to dramatically improve the academic outcomes of children, that it would be necessary to establish and run our own schools.
In 2003, St. HOPE Public Schools was founded as a preK-12 independent charter school district that provides high-quality education to nearly 2,000 students.
St. HOPE Facility Grand Opening
January 1992
7,000 square foot facility opening at 4101 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
40 acres Art & Cultural Center Grand Opening
May 2003
St. HOPE’s largest economic development project opened with Underground Books, Uncle Jed’s Cut Hut, Starbucks and the Guild Theater.
40 Acres is the jewel of the SHDC efforts in the Oak Park community. The building was the historic Woodruff Hotel which was build in 1922 and was renovated by St. HOPE Development company in 2003.
The 23,000 sq. ft. mixed use facility includes:
- Guild Theater
- Underground Books
- Old Soul Coffee House
- Coopers Wine Bar
- Upper Room Apartments
JUNE- Celebrating the Future. Acknowledging the Past.
A Message from St. HOPE
Dear St. HOPE family and friends,
I always enjoy this time of year as we come together to celebrate our scholars and recognize their success. Together with their families, teachers, the greater community, our scholars have reflected on how far they have come and are now looking ahead at their bright future.
Over the past few weeks, St. HOPE Public Schools had promotion ceremonies for kindergarteners, 5th graders, 8th graders and the mighty Sacramento High School class of 2022.
Sacramento Charter High School Celebrates College-Bound Seniors
May 13, 2022
Sacramento Charter High School is celebrating a high number of college acceptances this year, sending their seniors off with a special celebration.
Big Day of Giving
A Message from the President
Dear Community Members,
The Big Day of Giving (BDOG) is an important way to support local nonprofits that are working hard to make a difference in the community. St. HOPE has been on the ground for over 30 years to bring high quality education and economic development and investment to a historically underserved community. I hope you will support St. HOPE by making a meaningful contribution by clicking here or on the Big Day image today or anytime leading up to the Big Day on May 5.
RISE UP TOGETHER to build stronger communities
A Message from the President
Dear Community,
Within the last few weeks, our hearts have been saddened by the gun violence and business break-ins that have cast a shadow right here in our Sacramento community and across the nation. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who have lost loved ones and all of those who have been touched or traumatized by the recent events.
Sacramento-area bookstores celebrate their day with tour for bibliophiles (April 30)
The Sacramento Bee
Underground Books manager Georgia West, commonly known as “Mother Rose,” of Oak Park, admires a photo of a child with “Black Santa” during the second annual Christmas in Oak Park event Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019, at the bookstore and neighboring The Guild Theater. “For kids to see a Santa Claus that looks like them for a change … I mean any Santa is good, but I just think we need some options,” West said. “It’s a diverse community, and so we want diversity, we want everybody to come,” she added, “but I just think, for us, this is a great option and a great event.”
St. HOPE Spring Festival
Good Day - April 9, 2022
St. Hope Public Schools is hosting a spring market full of food trucks and family-friendly activities!
All families are invited to St. HOPE Public Schools’ Spring Festival!
All families are invited to St. HOPE Public Schools’ Spring Festival! SHPS will be hosting a free admission event with local night market vendors, food trucks, community resources, and a kids zone with a variety of activities and attractions. This event will safely bring everyone together for a day of family-friendly fun in the Oak Park community. The kids zone will feature face painting, bounce houses, a petting zoo, carnival rides, and more!
Join us Saturday, April 9th from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Sacramento Charter High School football field.
“Far East Deep South” Premiere
Movie Premiere + Discussion
In this critical time and focus on social injustice and asian hate crimes, St. HOPE has partnered with the CA Railroad Museum and the Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival to bring together the African American and Asian American communities to watch the Sacramento premiere of the “Far East Deep South” followed by Q&A discussion with the film’s producers and Sacramento’s Black and Asian Communities on Saturday, April 9 at 4pm.
Alumni Highlight: Aryanna Lewis
Recently, we caught up with St. HOPE alumnae, Aryanna Lewis, to discuss her recently being crowned as Miss Black Sacramento. Aryanna who attended St. HOPE Public Schools from Kindergarten - High School, graduated from Sac High, Class of 2014 and was her class Student Body Vice President. She credits her St. HOPE background as the foundation of her morals and as the pathway that lead her to reach higher goals. We are certainly proud of Aryanna’s accomplishments and how she continues to be a positive representative of our St. HOPE family!
Guild Record Studio Grand Opening
The official grand opening of Guild Record Studios held last month on February 25th brought a large turnout of local creatives and also served as a listening party for Sacramento’s own, TIP Vicious for his upcoming EP “No Sleep”, which was produced and recorded at Guild Studios.
The Guild Record Studio is managed by Guild Theater Director, Dru Burks, and studio Engineer, Bobby “Babagazoo” Reed. The studio offers affordably priced recording sessions and membership packages for vocal recording, music production, podcasting, voice overs, mixing and mastering.
Crowning our History
A Message from St. HOPE President & CEO
Dear Friends of St. HOPE,
The celebration of the legacy of great women during Women History month is most valued when we share with our children and grandchildren, grooming the next generation of legacy. It is important that the history is kept visible and active in the hearts and minds of those who are standing on the shoulders of many who have come before us and building for a brighter future. We have to continue to make history, celebrate and memorialize great legacy and crown our history forever.
Matt Johnson to Coach Boys Varsity Basketball Team
Sac High
Sac High is excited to announce Matt Johnson as the new Varsity Boy’s Basketball coach. As an alumni of Sac High, Johnson was a three-year varsity letterman in basketball and was nominated as a Dragon team MVP, Capital Athletic League MVP and was named 1 st team All-City.
Sac High Sports Highlights
An Update from Coach Reber
Sac High is building on a strong foundation for its athletics – closing out 2021 with a series of successes, and looking ahead at some great opportunities for the coming year.
The Dragons football team had an excellent season, building up a full team after the COVID pandemic caused cancellations and delays. The Varsity team finished with a record of 9-3, and made it to the playoffs where they battled the Manteca Buffaloes, the team which ultimately went on to win the section championship.
Black History Month Matters
A Message from the President
Black History Month is a time of reflection and acknowledgement of the journey of a people with resiliency and determination for freedom, justice and equity. It is also a time of encouragement for continued pathways towards liberty and justice for all.
St. HOPE Spotlight: Mother Rose
St. HOPE Pipeline
Welcome to the St. HOPE Video Spotlight. This month’s video features the legendary Georgia West aka “Mother Rose” who for many years has been an icon in the Oak Park Community. Mother Rose is not only the manager of Underground Books, but is the official cheerleader for St. HOPE.
Free Movie Matinee
Looking for something to do on the weekend? Come one, come all to the Sunday Movie Matinee at the Guild Theater on the 1st Sunday of each month at 2pm. Bring your family, friends or come by yourself to watch (or rewatch!) some of the most popular feature films on the big screen. St. HOPE is pleased to present these family friendly movies that are FREE for the entire community!
Movie Schedule:
March 6 “Hidden Figures”
April 3 “Black Panther”
May 1 “A Wrinkle in Time”
‘A place where we can show Black excellence’: Inside Sacramento region’s only Black-owned bookstore
KCRA - February 3, 2003
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The Sacramento region’s only Black-owned bookstore can be found in the heart of Oak Park.
Underground Books opened its doors in 2003 to fill a need in its community: There are no public libraries in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood.
“If people don’t benefit, if the community doesn’t benefit, then we’re doing something wrong,” Cassandra Jennings told KCRA 3.
Sacramento Is Home To California’s Best Soul Food Restaurant
February 4, 2022
Sacramento is home to the best soul food restaurant in the state of California, according to a recent report from LoveFood . The website set out to find the best food every state had to offer.
“Nothing beats the comfort of soul food. Here are the best restaurants celebrating the African-American tradition, where many of the recipes have been passed down through generations,” reads the report. “Expect the likes of collard greens, beans, cornmeal in many forms, along with crispy catfish, pork and tender fried chicken.”
Let’s Read Oak Park
Launch of New St. HOPE Reading Initiative
With a new focus on racial injustice, there is a spotlight on the sobering statistics in the reading levels between black and white students. In 2019, The Nation’s Report Card from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that just 15% of Black 8th graders were at or above reading “proficiency.” About half didn’t even reach the “basic” reading benchmark.
Free Drive Through Covid-19 Testing Site at Sac High
Sponsored by St. HOPE and EventMD
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is “What are you doing for others?” said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In an effort to serve and respond to the needs of our community St. HOPE is teaming up with EventMD to provide a drive-through COVID Testing Site at Sacramento High School starting Saturday, January 15th. Both PCR and Antigen rapid testing will be available weekly on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 9 AM to 2 PM. Please get vaccinated and tested to keep yourself and others safe.