16 Jan Richmond’s Rodney “Alamo” Brown to Receive Humanitarian of the Year Award

Contra Costa County will honor Rodney “Alamo” Brown of Richmond and two Danville students, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on Tuesday. (Pulse file photo)

Editor’s note: This post was updated Friday with more information about the honorees.

CC Pulse Staff Report

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as local humanitarians.

“No work is insignificant, and we are fortunate to honor a humanitarian and two student humanitarians of the year, who bring to life Dr. King’s vision through their service to our community,” county board chair Supervisor Candace Andersen said in a Jan. 6 press release.

The 47th Annual MLK Commemoration Event open to the public begins at 11 a.m. in the supervisors’ chambers, 1025 Escobar St., in Martinez.

The winner of the Humanitarian of the Year Award, Rodney “Alamo” Brown, is well-known in Richmond for his Soulful Sunday Softball events, which he started in 2015.

Brown, who grew up the Pullman Housing Projects in South Richmond, graduated from Kennedy High. Before returning to Richmond, he had an eclectic career that included founding a record label, releasing a rap album, being a Major League Baseball scout, and behind-the-scenes work on the Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore flick “50 First Dates.”

In 2022, when he was a finalist for Black Joy Parade and Comcast’s “Icons Among Us,” Richmond Standard reported that “Brown was responsible for helping to organize nine churches to serve 2.5 million meals for West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) children.”

Also recognized will be Student Humanitarians of the Year, Soha and Imran Sohail Guller from San Ramon Valley High School in Danville. The siblings started a club at their school called Baking the World a Better Place, through which they have held bake sales to raise money for The Stroke Foundation and Lazarex Cancer Foundation. They are also members of the Danville Youth Council and volunteer in town and at a hospital.

The honorees’ leadership, advocacy and community service have improved the lives of Contra Costa County residents and reflect the spirit of King’s work and achievements, county officials said in announcing the awards.

The public event’s theme is “Celebrating Our Shared Humanity” and will feature keynote speaker Mitchell Hopson. Hopson is a financial and business operations professional. He is also an active community member serving on volunteer boards and organizations.

The program will also feature performances by San Ramon’s Dougherty Valley High School Choir, Richmond Poet Laureate Stephen Sharpe and an invocation by the Rev. Dr. Carole McKindley Alvarez, who is the pastor of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in Richmond.

In addition to attending in person, the public can watch the ceremony online at http://www.contracosta.ca.gov/6086 or http://www.contracostatv.org. The celebration will also be broadcast live on Contra Costa Television channels, Comcast Cable 27, ATT/U-Verse 99, and Astound 32 & 1027.

To learn more about the Dr. King Ceremony and past ceremonies, visit http://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5307.