South Dallas Trusts ‘Not My Son’: How Tramonica Brown’s Nonprofit Is Bringing New Life and Longevity To Our Streets

People, not dollars, are what power South Dallas nonprofit Not My Son. Led by founder Tramonica Brown, the organization has serviced thousands of Dallas residents and led an impressive range of community outreach initiatives related to social justice, civic engagement, and financial literacy. In its fifth year, Not My Son is nowhere near slowing down their people-powered efforts to engage their South Dallas community in a brighter present and a prosperous future.

Outreach, social activism and engagement are Not My Son’s three pillars. By coordinating a community calendar chock-full of events, they have successfully engaged the people of South Dallas to take community revitalization into their own hands. 

Not My Son genuinely is focused on growing, cleaning and feeding their community because they know it best. With over 200 unique volunteers in 2024, this nonprofit packs a punch when they get their hands dirty tackling community issues.

And that’s why South Dallas trusts them.

By the Community, For the Community

Brown shared that Not My Son was born in the short span of two weeks amid the George Floyd protests of 2020.  

“When we first started, […] we immediately needed protection. We needed a communication channel between us, the protesters and the police. That was our immediate need. That was our immediate mission. We needed to be a bridge, because we didn’t have any control at that point, and it was just chaotic,” Brown said. 

Thus, Not My Son is truly fueled by the needs of the community. Brown noted that when the organization finds different causes to support or people to uplift, it’s all organic. The group operates in a “see a need, fill a need” manner. 

“We live in a food swamp, and we don’t have adequate grocery stores. So the main thing that people wanted was fresh produce,” Brown began. “[Under] the [federal] administration that we’re in right now, the price of everything has skyrocketed. So it’s something that we’re going to continue to do for the next cycle as well, because food insecurity is something that we struggle with.” 

And the community is not shy with their response to the work being done. Not My Son is known for sporting their trademark purple shirts when doing their volunteer work. Brown shared that in the grassroots phases of the nonprofit, the community members volunteering were also designing their volunteering uniform. 

“I’ll never forget, this man walked up, like, ‘Who are y’all? I see y’all every month,’ and I told him who we were. And he was just like, ‘Y’all are just in purple shirts.’ And every time we see him, he always makes it his business to stop at our events and say, ‘Hey, purple shirts!’”

Brown added: “But he’s a community member. He’s 60-something years old, and it’s just [fulfilling] like, the community gets what I’m doing.” 

What makes Not My Son stand out, apart from their heavy clout in the community, is that their impact is effective in reshaping South Dallas. Brown mentioned that a trash clean up with- you guessed it- purple trash bags was the catalyst to getting the city to pick up dozens of bags of litter on empty lots.

“We would take purple trash bags, put stickers on them and put them where the illegal dumps were so [city maintenance] can come,” Brown explained. “[The city maintenance is] not gonna pick that up, because [they] missed two trash days at this point for that bulk trash pickup.” 

Volunteers are essential to making Not My Son run like a small, benevolent army. 

“The vast majority of our volunteers live in the community, work in the community, or had lived in the community as a child, and come back to pour in,” Brown said.

Brown mentioned that their door-to-door method of amassing community members is what makes South Dallas put their faith in Not My Son to make a difference. The people in this organization are heavily motivated to maintain their homes, even if it means they sometimes have to do the city’s part of the maintenance job.  

“We don’t want the community to look like that, and so people are willing to help other people get their stuff together,” Brown said. “So instead of letting other people come in and gentrify our neighborhoods, we know how to make you look great ourselves.” 
Brown urges any and all volunteers to donate their time to Not My Son, especially during National Volunteer Month. Find the volunteer information and application here. 

Promoting a Healthier, More-Informed Community

During this Minority Health Month, Brown noted that Pleasant Grove has a high rate of those with asthma. As someone with asthma herself, Brown is a fan of trees and works passionately to implement green spaces into the lives of South Dallas youths.

“I love trees big time. And, [Not My Son] adopted JP, Hawn Park, which is my childhood Park. It means so much to me,” Brown explained. “We’re working very hard to make sure that the bond actually has some funding to it to, you know, really build some character to that part. We have different sponsors who are going to do some special things to help increase the park’s value.”

Not My Son will have a tree planting ceremony on April 25th, just three days after Earth Day. Support them at JP Hawn Park and learn more about volunteer opportunities here. 

The 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that only 39% of Black and African Americans with a mental health concern in the US received mental health services.

Mental health is another community need that Not My Son is actively working to fulfill. The organization will soon host a mental health day with sound baths and natural healing methods. 

“We’re honestly in just a rough time, and my volunteers run with so much energy and momentum,” Brown said, emphasizing the importance of such care. 

Civic engagement is another important pillar for Not My Son’s mission that shows their high level of care for the community, Brown asserts. Not My Son regularly partners with Black Voters Matter. 

Physically reaching out to low-turnout voters, Brown shared, is also crucial to building their trust when it comes to other community issues. When asked about the volunteer’s motivation to amass the manpower to canvas over 20,000 community members, Brown said the need to inform one’s community is a way of looking after one’s community.

Hope on the Horizon

New for the nonprofit this coming spring is a series of events geared toward financial literacy for all ages. Brown says the nonprofit will soon partner with two banks in South Dallas to help equip community members with the tools and the information they need to achieve and maintain financial independence. 

Regardless of what exactly lies in store for Not My Son and South Dallas can only be determined by time, she says. But the people-powered nonprofit will still remain loyal to its community, Brown assured Dallas Weekly. 

“Sometimes you can’t do what gets funded, you have to find a way to really fight for your community to get the things that they need. And not for the things that other people, not inside the community, feel like we need.” 

Not My Son is also working on a program to take South Dallas kids on family excursions this summer with DART. Brown emphasizes there is a heavy need for South Dallas kids to have safe, affordable and exciting memories with their families at this time. 

Looking to the future, Brown says that under a new presidential administration, there is no limit to what Not My Son can accomplish. When asked he envisions for the nonprofit to have a brick and mortar community center where South Dallas youth have the ability to enjoy spending time with loved ones and away from pressures of the streets. 

When it comes to her passion for giving her community the self-care it deserves, Tramonica Brown and Not My Son have South Dallas’ back. 

“I love what I do,” Brown concluded. “I wouldn’t replace it for the world.”
Not My Son invites the community to celebrate their fifth anniversary at their Art of Advocacy Gala at 7 p.m. on April 19, 2025. Anti-Apartheid leader and former Dallas City Council member  Diane Ragsdale will be honored at the gala. Tickets may be purchased here.