Meet Tramonica Brown | Founder and Leader of Not My Son

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tramonica Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tramonica, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The verdict of Trayvon Martin set ablaze in my heart that remains today. I knew then I had to become more educated in what the laws were and how the system plays them against the people. June 1^st was the day of reckoning on Large Marge when Dallas police officers swarmed the demonstration– throwing tear gas and shooting rubber bullets onto innocent civilians, forcing them to coward to the ground and be unlawfully arrested. Approximately 700 people were entrapped for over 3 hours. I was arrested and quickly released after speaking with the officer about the chaos taking place. He agreed to let me go after I expressed my concerns about the parents and children who were trapped on the bridge, like me. I walked off the bridge and straight over to Chief Renee Hall and other city officials. I began to express my outrage about the events that were transpiring. I challenged her about the children being arrested on the bridge. In the end, the children were released before my departure. And I was motivated to seek change in our justice system and community more than ever. I called the murder of George Floyd, the straw that broke America’s back and the birth of Not My Son.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Not My Son is a non-profit organization that is focused on bringing the community together through events, rallies, and organized discussions focused on reforming city policies that perpetuate systems of oppression. We strive to achieve change for our city while engaging directly with the community at every level– from police accountability to protractors for underprivileged kids. Not My Son operates using three pillars: Community Outreach – Civic Engagement – Social Activism. We wear the heart of our community as a badge of honor. We are proud of the strong narrative and presence DFW has created and sustained. But I am most proud of how we moved the storm in the streets to serving the community and increasing civic engagement – the turnout is amazing! Not that there haven’t been bumps along the way, but the most important thing I have learned is to remain on my path. The people, the community has invested their trust in me, they believed in my goals, and they help me execute them. This is a marathon. We are far from done. Many challenges will come. Every day is a new day to create a new change. If there was one thing I would want the world to know about Not My Son– we are for community, by community. We will continue to serve our community, will continue to educate, will we continue the marathon.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Fun spots in the city:  The Dallas Arboretum for peace of mind. A little shopping at House of Dasha. The Daiquiri Shoppe- all of them- to see which location has the best.  Hardeman’s on Scyene and G4 for karaoke. Aunt Irene’s kitchen seafood box. And Sweet Georgia Brown’s soul food. Pangea’s for dinner and Williams Chicken, with a pepper.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My team is every bit of extraordinary!! They have been boots to the ground with everything I do. Along with my life partner- who has truly been my supportive rock throughout this journey of mine. These people have been my pillars in the pursuit of true freedom of Black people.

Website: www.notmysondallas.com
Instagram: notmysondfw
Twitter: notmysondfw
Facebook: NotMySonDallas

Image Credits
Kira Purnell Nitashia Johnson