Contra Costa County Humanitarian of the Year only scratches the surface of Rodney “Alamo” Brown’s long list of accomplishments and the profound impact he has had in Richmond.
Producer, rapper/song-writer, former professional baseball scout, journalist, author and longtime barber, Brown is truly a jack of all trades. But where did his journey begin? Right here in Richmond.
Brown grew up in a 270-unit apartment complex in South Richmond that was, as he told Richmondside, an experience like no other.
“Everyone knew everyone,” he said in an interview with Richmondside. “We could always go to anyone’s house and eat anytime randomly. The parents were friendly but also stern, and so that made the experience very, very unique growing up, knowing that it was very communal.”
Brown attended Kennedy High School with many of his friends from the building, strengthening the sense of community and partnership among the kids.
In fact, at 17, Brown and two of his neighborhood friends, Ramon Avellar and Marvin Saucer, decided to found a record label.
They were initially looking to sign a deal in Los Angeles but were met with an onslaught of rejection — until Mary Buffet, famed Berkshire-Hathaway multibillionaire Warren Buffet’s daughter-in-law, approached the group with an idea.
“She said, ‘Why don’t you start your own record label and call it Globetown Records?’” Brown recalled.
At the time, Brown and his friends referred to their townhouses as “Globetown.” The group decided to run with Mary Buffet’s idea, and Brown said he became the first Richmonder to make a phonographic record on 33 1/3 vinyl.
In 1986, the trio produced a record with two tracks, “Task Force” and “Dance Baby.” Brown was searching for his own musical handle and decided on “Disco Alamo.” Though Brown has retired from producing music, the name “Alamo” has stuck with him.
Barber shop conversations sparked Brown’s community work
Later that year, Brown became a barber at Owen’s Barber Shop on Cutting Avenue in Richmond.
There, interacting with community members for 15 years, he grew interested in volunteering.
“There were a lot of things that were going on that affected the community. A lot of wants and a lot of needs,” he said. “And so I said, ‘Well, hey, I want to help out,’ and ‘What do I need to do to help,’ and that’s how it actually all began.”
Through these conversations, Brown realized how many Richmonders needed support, so he began to take the initiative.
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“I was a good listener, and so just listening to people’s problems, helping them problem solve and come up with a remedy … was one of the most beneficial … things I did.”
— Rodney Brown, on being a barber in Richmond
He first started by helping people carry groceries, mow their lawns, and take care of their gardens. This soon evolved to helping acquire resources for community members, such as jobs, housing and vehicles.
Meanwhile, Brown continued to provide emotional support to his customers, chatting with them about their daily problems and offering advice.
“I was a good listener, and so just listening to people’s problems, helping them problem solve and come up with a remedy or solution was one of the most beneficial and helpful things I did as a barber,” he said. “Besides cutting over 75,000 heads.”
Meet Your Neighbor
Who: Rodney “Alamo” Brown
Neighborhood: Brown grew up in south Richmond. Since moving back to the Bay Area in 2013, he has lived near Lake Merritt in Oakland.
Richmond resident for: Brown lived in Richmond until 2003, when he moved to Hawaii.
He’s an author: Brown recently released his first book, “If My Eyes Could Rewind: The Real Richmond, CA Story,” which is about Richmond-born stars in various fields of work.
He said: “What I wanted to do was bring the city back into one where everybody can still be kids again and come to the place where we were all once children in Nicholl Park.”
Next Soulful Softball Sunday: Sun., Aug. 24, Nicholl Park, 3230 Macdonald Ave, Richmond, CA 94804. Free food, raffle and softball game.
Richmond is home to 40+ distinct neighborhoods, a fact that some residents have told us makes them feel disconnected to the city as a whole. This story is part of an occasional series to help Richmonders get to know their neighbors. Do you know someone we should feature? Email hello@richmondside.org or post a tip here.
In 2003, Brown left Richmond and moved to Hawaii and continued cutting hair there for another 10 years. When he returned to the Bay Area in 2013, he concluded his time as a barber but picked up his volunteer work in Richmond right where he left off.
Brown now works as a mental health clinician at the Contra Costa County Youth Service Bureau. There, he helps children and their families access resources for mental health issues.
Soulful Softball Sunday becomes a local philanthropic phenomenon
One of his most well-known events is Soulful Softball Sunday. Each summer since 2015, Brown has organized a community-wide softball game, an event in Nicholl Park that’s about community-building, a backpack drive for school children, and a barbecue.
The inaugural event took place on July 19, 2015, when 50 community members showed up for a game of softball and a barbecue. In Brown’s words, everyone had “a groovy time,” so he hosted another gathering the next week. In 2015, Brown continued hosting a Soulful Softball Sunday for eight weeks straight.
Community members loved the gatherings and began stepping up to organize them.
“The community at large chipped in. Folks did the feeding. They did the cooking. Oh, man, it was a whole lot of hands that went into this whole equation, besides my own. And so that’s pretty much how it was born,” Brown said.
Since then, Soulful Softball Sunday has transformed into an annual, one-day event. This year, it will take place on Aug. 24 in Nicholl Park.
Over the past decade, the event has grown exponentially. Brown has seen a turnout of anywhere between 500 to 1,000 people in recent years, and he expects a similar attendance this summer.
The event begins with a communal prayer, followed by the first softball game at 9 a.m. Afterward, Brown highlights the achievements of 10 to 15 impactful figures in the Richmond community.
Brown hopes to give back to community members whom often do not get recognized for their accomplishments. By showcasing them at the event, Brown spotlights these community members in front of their peers.
“We’ve honored around 115 people from Richmond in the past 11 years,” he said.
On top of the socializing and community-building, Brown will be giving youths more than 250 backpacks filled with school supplies.
“We always want to give things back to the community. So we started this annual backpack drive,” he said. Brown also raffles off gift cards and experiences to attendees. One year, he even raffled off a trip to Hawaii.
Though often tiresome to organize, Soulful Softball Sunday has embodied the philanthropic spirit and connection Brown initially hoped for.
Soulful Softball event led one woman to reunite with child she gave up for adoption
He recalled one result that continues to amaze him.
One year, a woman approached Brown and asked him to introduce her to another woman at the event –– a young woman playing with a girl.
The woman explained to Brown that she had to give up custody of her daughter when she was 5, and she recently connected with her on Facebook, where she saw that she frequently attended the softball event. She came to the game in hopes of finally meeting her in person. Brown introduced the pair.
“She stood next to me and was squeezing my arm real tight. She was nervous. She didn’t know what to say,” Brown remembered.
The daughter was elated to meet her mom and introduced her to her granddaughter. The following year, the three of them returned to Soulful Softball Sunday together. Brown explained that this is really what Soulful Softball Sunday is all about –– reconciliation and connection.
“I just wanted to put more love back into the community at large, and show folks, despite what transpired in previous years, that we could still come together in solidarity and truth and have fun,” he said.
Rodney took this vision and turned it into his life’s mission.
Much Love And Respect Alamo.
This is a lit article🔥
“Thanks so much, Richmondside. I deeply appreciate this well-written article. Your thoughtful coverage means a lot to me and to our community.”