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MLK Jr. Commemoration to Honor Contra Costa County’s Humanitarians of Year
A 1984 John F. Kennedy High School graduate, Brown may be most known for founding the Soulful Softball Sunday organization in 2015. In October 2023, the County Board of Supervisors honored Brown with a Ceremonial Resolution for his lifetime of service, citing his more than four decades as a professional barber, professional baseball scout, community advocate, journalist, award-winning author and Bay Area hip hop pioneer.
The Richmond Standard
Local community advocate Rodney “Alamo” Brown, founder of the Soulful Softball Sunday organization, will be honored as Adult Humanitarian of the Year at the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors’ 47th Annual Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The commemoration event will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 11 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at 1025 Escobar St. in Martinez.
At the event, themed “Celebrating Our Shared Humanity,” Brown will be honored alongside Student Humanitarians of the Year Soha and Imran Sohail Guller of San Ramon Valley High School in Danville.
A 1984 John F. Kennedy High School graduate, Brown may be most known for founding the Soulful Softball Sunday organization in 2015. In October 2023, the County Board of Supervisors honored Brown with a Ceremonial Resolution for his lifetime of service, citing his more than four decades as a professional barber, professional baseball scout, community advocate, journalist, award-winning author and Bay Area hip hop pioneer.
“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,” said Board Chair Supervisor Candace Andersen.
The Jan. 21 MLK Jr. Commemoration will feature Mitchell Hopson as keynote speaker, performances from the Dougherty Valley High School Choir, and Stephen Sharpe, Poet Laureate for the City of Richmond. Rev. Dr. Carole McKindley-Alvarez will give an invocation.
The public can watch the ceremony by visiting www.contracostatv.org. The celebration will also be broadcast live on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) channels, Comcast Cable 27, ATT/U-Verse 99, and Astound 32 and 1027.
To learn more about the Dr. King Ceremony and past ceremonies, visit here.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
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Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
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Activism
IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.
He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.
Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.
Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.
Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.
He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.
A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.
His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.
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