BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"

Al Edmondson's Journey to Community Legacy in King Lincoln District

March 12, 2024 Coach Tim Brown, Uncommon Life Season 3 Episode 8
BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"
Al Edmondson's Journey to Community Legacy in King Lincoln District
BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy" +
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Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

My good friend Al Edmondson, a  community servant leader and proud inductee into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame, joins me to narrate his remarkable path of service within Columbus's King Lincoln District. His stories of transformation from a humble start to a community figurehead are not just inspiring but a testament to the idea that small gestures can lead to monumental legacies. Together, we embark on a journey that threads through the essence of local ties, the celebration of one's roots, and how Al's barbershop has become more than a place for haircuts—it's a beacon for health, dialogue, and community kinship.

Revisiting my own roots, I reflect on the high school mentors who set me on a path towards leadership and community action. Their early guidance carved out a service-oriented approach within me, one that I carry through to this day. Our conversation then turns to deep personal shifts, including my own spiritual transition, and how these changes fuel our drive to revitalize the neighborhoods we hold dear. Al and I also dive into the role of local businesses as the heart of community well-being, a sentiment echoed by the community-centered efforts that spill from the doors of my barbershop.

As we wrap up, Al and I explore the intertwining paths of education and community service. We highlight the undeniable impact of fostering strong neighborhood relationships and the role of an unbiased figure in catalyzing conversations for collective progress. This episode is an impassioned call for men to take an active role in their communities—to support, to guide, and to mold the future for the better. Join us for a heartfelt narrative that weaves the threads of service, fatherhood, and the pursuit of a legacy that lingers long after we're gone.

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Speaker 1:

I just want people to see that how the ways they can give back to the community. It don't have to be that big, it's something simple or small. You know, even if you're just passing out water for the homeless people that's outside, or just feeding the kids, you know just something small. You can I tell people get involved, you know, don't you know everybody complain about stuff.

Speaker 2:

Get involved and do something and start your legacy Welcome to Be A Baller podcast where we discuss how to build a lifelong legacy. I'm your host, coach Tim Brown. Today we'll be talking about building a legacy and community service with my good friend, al Edmondson. Look at that smile, first smile, and gas.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, man Today on the show.

Speaker 2:

I will share his commitment to serving the King Lincoln District East Side of Columbus as not only a business owner a cut above the rest barbershop but also president of the Mount Vernon District Improvement Association. Al has dedicated his life to enriching the lives of others. Welcome to the show. Thank you, coach. Hey, first off, let's I know where this is kind of around celebrating the veterans day. I want to thank you for your service to our country, but most recently you inducted into the Ohio Hall of Fame. Can you talk about what that honor meant to you?

Speaker 1:

Man. It meant a lot to me because I can't remember the day that I got the phone call, sitting there cutting somebody's hair and this guy, general. Somebody called from the Hall of Fame committee Like is this Al Edmondson? I said yes, sir. He said well, I'm general, so-and-so. And I said okay, what's up? And he said I just want you know that you have been nominated to be inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. And I said, oh man, that's cool. He said it gets better. He said you are going to be inducted into the Veterans Hall of Fame.

Speaker 1:

And at that time and I just paused for a minute because I thought about, like my grandmother, my mom and some people, you know, you, you work so hard sometimes just to do stuff and just to be up there in the hall being nominated for the Hall of Fame. That means you would, you know Neil Armstrong, all the great people, and it's a little boy from the project named Al Edmondson. Come on, you know Al Edmondson and I could say it's God is good, god is good man. And it felt really good man. I got a chance to meet a lot of people who were around the whole state of Ohio and now I still go to these events. It's actually just one coming up. I go back and you know, cheer on the incoming class, and so it was just great to be nominated. And then the biggest thing, brother Tim, is that they normally hold it at the best memorial. They held it at the Lincoln Theater, ma Stompin' Christ.

Speaker 4:

The whole community came.

Speaker 1:

The whole community came out for me, man, and these and all these older guys I'm the youngest guy and all these older guys, they was like who are you?

Speaker 3:

I'm just a barber man. I'm just a barber.

Speaker 1:

And they was like, well, wow, you got all these people here for you. I said, yeah, the whole I'm talking about they filled the Lincoln up, and so that was just amazing, man, to see all the support that was. You know that people know all the things I've been doing for a long time and just see the people come out and support me, that meant a whole lot to me and my family.

Speaker 2:

You know you have a deep connection to that near East Side of Columbus. Why is that area so important to you?

Speaker 1:

Well, first of all, you know, I grew up in the neighborhood.

Speaker 1:

You know, one day, man and my mom had a nervous breakdown and basically she kind of like split me and my brothers and sisters up and I wanted to stay with my dad and my brother my younger brother went to her mother, which was my grandmother, and then my other sister went to her grandparents and then I wanted to stay with my dad.

Speaker 1:

So I, you know, because I wanted to be a tiger, basically because you know, you hear all about the history of East Side and then growing up at going to champion middle school and my love for the community, and then going to East High School where I, you know, I remember I tried out for the basketball team, didn't make it, went to wrestle, I was a little tougher than all summer. I was in the gym and Jerry Saunders was working with me and I said I'm going to make that basketball team Because I seen a brother like Bo Kasselman at one of the Kwanzaa games and went up and dunked on somebody. I was like I want to be a tiger and so I worked so hard. So I was a varsity three years and played football as well. So I mean, it's just, it's in my blood, you know, you know, ain't nothing like a tiger man.

Speaker 2:

Stick together. I'm more than you are today. I represent. They know. I know you're a proud graduate of Kwanzaa. Can you talk about your experience at East High School and how it prepares you for the community work you do today?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, well, I was always somebody who got involved and basically started at the YMCA right there on Woodland. I would always want to, you know, help. You know Anthony Morehead at the time and Shelton Stovall and Jerry Saunders was there as well and I would always just want to help them. You know, work with the younger kids and I just believe in, you know, I've always I'm the oldest of six and and so I've always been that person that care for people and just helping them and so I would always teach the classes and, you know, help the kids with dribbling and all that stuff.

Speaker 1:

Once I got out of high school and stuff and just just trying to, you know, watching older people like Jerry, anthony Stovall and those guys, and then the coaches got us involved in a lot of stuff at East High School. You know, basketball team we do cleanups. You know we do fundraisers and football team, you know it just, it's just a camaraderie of fellowship and I really enjoyed it because my brothers and sisters, we was all split up and so those those people that I still hang around today, we still hang together like brothers and sisters, and so you mentioned some of those early mentors who helped you develop into the leader you are today.

Speaker 2:

What were some of those things you can remember that you took from them?

Speaker 1:

Well, I took, I took, I took from Jerry Sanders. Jerry, jerry was always direct and he would, he would know Talk to you in a way that you can, you know, understand what he's saying at the time. And then Anthony Moorehead he was more like a, a good friend, a good friend that you know, worked with you and you know pretty much talked about. You know, we had, we started community cleanups and and that's where I thought like even one of them came, president of the business association. We got to keep just, we got to clean our, we want our communities to be clean.

Speaker 1:

You know you don't go out and we're the intended though trash out. You don't go out and these upper all into the dough, trash out. So why should you know? Why should people throw trash out in your neighborhood? So just watching the, those young them, with those men at the time helped build moment. Plus my grandfather my grandfather was always somebody who helped people and my grandmother, and so they would take all the kids in from outside, like they used to do, feed them all. You know, I know y'all ain't got no food.

Speaker 3:

We're gonna make some oatmeal and stuff and y'all gonna all eat this.

Speaker 1:

So but yeah, just you know those people, those people who poured into me, and you see the results now.

Speaker 4:

Hello here. Building a legacy usually involves meeting the unique needs of others and being part of something bigger than yourself. That's why I love first merchants bank. First merchants believes that helping communities prosper means more than just providing banking services. It means offering accessible financial education, expanded access to home ownership and partnerships with local nonprofits to help raise up neighborhoods and lift families out of financial hardship. For resources and tools available to you, visit wwwfirstmerchantscom. Member Fpic equal housing lender.

Speaker 2:

I know you see a lot of those that you're pointing to now coming back and I want to be like I. You know, I'm sure you've seen that cycle. Yeah, yeah, young people, uh, I know also that you're a strong man of faith, mm-hmm. Being a longtime member of New Salem Baptist Church, can you talk a little bit about your faith journey?

Speaker 1:

Oh, man, man, because I grew up Muslim. My mom was Muslim, so I grew up, you know, going to mosque and all that stuff. And it was different when I first went to New Salem Because I didn't understand it. And one day I just took this class on on how to study the Bible because they was giving these classes. I didn't know nothing about the Bible, you know, I didn't know, I didn't know how to pray or nothing. And so, um, I, tracy Robinson it was teaching the class, deacon Tracy Robinson and I just started studying the Bible. When I started to learn then I took a class on the doctoring and all that stuff.

Speaker 1:

Like new Salem helped me grow in my faith and, yeah, that was a journey. It was. It was a scary journey because I never I was out of my comfort zone. I can do the I said I'm a lake on and all that stuff and do all the prayers. But this was something different and I was glad I did go and I got more involved. That's how we met. You know we didn't. We had that Friday night lights over at Mifflin buddy when the Christian league yeah, it was some good times.

Speaker 2:

Oh, we had a good time. Yeah, a good time. Yeah, and I know Pastor Troy Like to keep Troy yourself. It was 40 years.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes, yes, he got a big thing coming up at um, um Josiah here in a couple, a couple weeks. Yeah, that's a great man and guy.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, let's change gears now. You know you're a business owner Now of what we call a community barbershop. You know, and I know that's where everything happens in the barbershop. That's right, that's where it goes down. Can you tell the audience some of the things that happen in your shop besides haircuts?

Speaker 1:

Okay, and so, um, in 1993, um, um, the medical heart association is a young lady by the name of Jill Shaw? Um Came to me one day and said, hey, you need it, you care about black men. I said, yes, I do. You said, well, you need this. We want to come on your barbershop and do health screenings. And I said, okay, what's that look like? I wasn't thinking about it. Um, and then, throughout that time, we've been doing it. We still do it. Well, we got new partners, um, but we do um health screen. We started health screenings in 1993. Um, I've done prostate awareness, um, starting in 2016,. Awareness for me Because I kept seeing my customers die or you know, and then they also seen people overdose.

Speaker 1:

So we've done a lot of outreach other than just cutting hair. We give out Narcan, we do flu shots next door to the next exit of the shop. We also done in every April we do CPR training. Because I believe in our community. We don't know how to do CPR training, so people come into the community. Last year we had 63 families come to the barber shop because we need to know CPR. We can save someone's life. And that story came to me because from this lady that she was in the shop and his barber passed out. Luckily it was two nurses there saved his life and I said, well, we need to do this every year for minority health, mom. And so I just come up with initiatives, man and partnerships, now with Ohio State a lot.

Speaker 1:

I just was reading an email today the optometry wants to come to the shop. There's a new person in optometry, the optometry is being coming to the shop, but there's a new person and they want to come to the shop and do ice cream for families. It's free, ain't gonna cost you anything. But we just want to make our barber shop more than just a barber shop. It's a everybody call it the community center, everybody call it the community center, community center. We do. We've done colon cancer conversations with Dr Shaw and because, you know, prostate, colon cancer, diabetes and those things are things that kill black men and I care about my black men. So we do awareness around those things and the more I always say my motto is healthy customers make a difference, and so I believe in making sure we make things are aware. You know, give out a lot of awareness to the community, to you know, let them know that these resources and things are happening.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I know you're also a place for all the politicians who come through there whenever, whenever, whenever, whenever is that time? They all come through there, and then you have your community forums as well. Yeah, yeah man.

Speaker 1:

Now why is that so important? It is cause the barber shop is where you can find out everything. And you know, I tell people I'm not going downtown. You gotta come to the neighborhood If you want to get the real talk, the real down and dirty. And we have these forums where we can be candid and we just talk. We talk about what we need in our neighborhood to these people.

Speaker 1:

You know the mayor, the mayor, show up. You know he'll every time. You know he's a good friend of mine and I and I respect him. I'm glad he won and so, but he'll come to something because he want to know what, how we feel is black me and how the community issues and and like most of the time he, he returns and help out. You know, and I was talking, I was telling somebody that it's talking negative about it, all this gun violence, and I was telling them I said do you know?

Speaker 1:

The mayor gave out 2.8 million dollars to boost on the ground people. So we supposed to be doing the work. He's giving us the funds. He can't do it, but he's giving us the funds to get out and reach our community because we have relationships with the people that are around us. He doesn't have a relationship. So I said I'm gonna give you some cheese, go out here and do the work. But then when we have these kids in our programs and you probably have experiences too is that they're good while they're there, but when they go home back to their environment, then you gotta you gotta put your mask back on and survival, yeah, survival mode, yeah yeah.

Speaker 2:

Back to that. You know, speaking of that, you started a non-profit making a difference. Can you talk about the vision behind?

Speaker 1:

Oh man, the vision started with the health screenings and then we went to a fatherhood initiatives and then we we did the basketball clinics that we used to do at the East High School. We wanted to bring fathers and kids in a biblical way and talk about Christ, and so we would. I remember renting out the, the gym on Nelson Road, where we had four stations, where I had you, I'll have somebody like you, because I want people to see it's good to see the pros, but I wanted, I want them to see a fireman, I want to see a policeman, I want to. I want to see Eddie Harrells, the CEO of Neighborhood House, and the Tim Brown, and we'll go around and just have four, four clinics and you talk to them about what you do, and that's the vision came from beyond, from that, and then also the fatherhood breakfast that we do. We do you know, father, that started upstairs with men from a new Salem and started just a simple care group and men coming together and being transparent and being able to just open up and, without being judged, and tell your story. And so we still do that on Monday nights, bible study, and that started with new Salem, and then now we'll, we're planning on giving up. You know we got a toy drive coming up giving for the kids with a neighborhood.

Speaker 1:

But fatherhood peace is very important important for me because my dad was in and out and so I had to learn from other men on how to be a father. You know when that was hard at the beginning, but now I'm teaching men how to be now. Now my experiences I share with these young men, my experiences a fatherhood, and you know some of the things that they have to do to build good relationships with your children, because you know it can get now. These days they want to be grown early but you know you have that relationship with your father is special because they'll kids will go to the mother all the time, especially boys. But that father peace and the father with the daughter piece is very important. So we're making sure that we're nurturing our daughters and can continue to build our young men up so they don't get weak and well doing. You know, because it could be frustrated for some of the kids.

Speaker 5:

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Speaker 2:

I know we watch you with your boys. Yeah, I have two sons and I always tell our kids I tell people, our kids not to join a game. We got the brown game, yeah exactly we got home, you know yeah, and we're working together, you know, making this thing happen, which has always been a blessing. Yeah, I really enjoyed us working together with the basketball.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Friday night I didn't realize how big that was until now. When you start looking back on, man we was huge, you know, and just the kids who are, and just seeing those kids now and not just talking basketball, right, but we're talking about life, how we're doing in life, you know, and just those experiences, you know putting them. I think the key of that was putting them in the right environment, right, you know that we're gonna pray. We know that well. First of people already pray before we walk in there, that's right.

Speaker 1:

yeah, we got ready to go.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we ready to go.

Speaker 1:

I just thank God for those type of visions that we've been able to partner with and stuff, because I mean it made a difference, and not just for us but for the people that those. It's like branches. Yes, you know now these young cats, they'll be like Mr Owl, they're in the army, they're here for they're flying planes. They they got families now and so I'm always proud to see those kids that came through. That man that made it that they're doing really good and they, they got a good foundation.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, there's some good life lessons. You know you've been on the ground with us in the revitalization of the Mount Vernon area and Longstreet. What has that meant to the community? You know you've been around that area for decades. What has that meant to the?

Speaker 1:

community To me. I think it means a lot for the businesses. With the new development it's reviving the neighborhood. I was back there in the 90s you know 93 when the crack academic hit. I was there for the heroin. Now it's going back to fitting all and so that's. You know, I got 30 years over there and and I've seen it. I've seen the good and the bad.

Speaker 1:

Currently, right now, we have a lot of housing going up in the neighborhood and within the next Year or so you're gonna see about maybe 2,500 more people in the neighborhood. And what I like about that is that it's bringing people back to the neighborhood. You know some of the rent is high but they're making some of some of the rent is for affordable for some of the apartments that are being built. But it's good to see people come back. And what I like about it because we're barbers, we can cut any type of hair and so we. So we see people now walking to the barbershops and you know, and doing in, coming in a frequently visiting some of our businesses now and then there's a very new development on Long Street that's going going up and that's going to bring more people but into the neighborhood. It's gonna be right beside the Lincoln Theater and of course, you know we got the first black bank, this right across the Lincoln Theater. That's doing very well and you know we want people to continue to come and support it. You know, because people start crying what's this gone? If you don't support it, we have to support it as a community, and so I've moved my checking accounts over there to support it. You know cuz I want only by example.

Speaker 1:

And then we, we are making sure that the businesses that are in the community know about the Programs that the city of Columbus has for development and so they can get grants. And that's one thing that I do as president of the business association. I'll get. I go to these meetings and I bring back the information if and to help them fill out the information so they can make sure that they can get the money they need to do interior, exterior work and that way they can spruce up their business to keep up with the times. They need new equipment and all that stuff. You know that's stuff they're able to help them as well.

Speaker 1:

But I love it, man. I just I'm looking forward to it Because I see people coming back that would probably never come back because they're afraid of the neighborhood and and we have great partnerships with the fire department and the police department and we continue to just know work as a community and work, you know, work as a community to make things better, but you know there's always something. Yeah, you know we can be out here, something happens, but you know it's it's, it's coming back and I'm looking forward to it and you know it's, it's gonna be jumping, it's gonna be because people want to always see, like when it was back in 19, 1923, when they see the picture of the Mount Vernon where people standing out. But just it's, just people are out, but just it's gonna be a mixture of people.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's the least. Our next question how have you been able to make connections and bridge those gaps and Bringing the community and community leaders and from diverse backgrounds together?

Speaker 1:

You've been really good doing that. Yeah, man. Well, I just thank God for Columbus State. And thank God for Columbus State because, man, at 50 man, I went back to school doing Kobe and I took this nonprofit management course and I was just know one, one, one, one class at a time Because I ain't had no money right but being able to Connect.

Speaker 1:

I've always been a connector and so Now being able to connect on a different level, because people, when they see you doing something, they said, well, we gotta see, we gotta see him. Anybody comes in the neighborhood to do something. They come to see me, oh yeah, and I'm thankful for it. Yeah, I don't take it for granted, right, because it's out of respect and so, and I reached, we go. You know, we can get things done and I'm a.

Speaker 1:

I'm a neutral person, I'm not gonna sway to any side, but I think just just being relationships are valuable and Relationships can get you places where you never can get to. But I think if we're all on a common ground Now, with the neighborhood wants to be like and plus, we all want something and we want a good neighborhood, I just say that all I want is, if we can clean, keep these streets cleaned up, get some of this struggle activity out the way, get these businesses up and running, and we can, I'm happy, I'm happy and get these kids going to school and you know that's I'm happy about all of that. But I think that I'm a. I'm a. I'm a type of guy that I will sit down, talk to anybody out and then we can, we can, we can, we can agree to disagree, because it's been a lot of times where I don't agree with something, but I find we find ways to work it out so we can, all you know, prospering in it.

Speaker 2:

You know this is a legacy podcast. Think about that word legacy. What does that mean?

Speaker 1:

Whoo, man, I never thought about it. Man, I always always tell people I'm in this space for a little bit. Guys, guys using me just in this space for a little bit, I'm hoping that my sons I got my mother son, both of my sons will See His file, you know follow in my footsteps in a way Mm-hmm, what's they do, and I'm grateful for that. But just being able to look Back in and just said I gave it all and God put me in situations where I never thought I would be and I could be, I was just thinking about the other day. Somebody said you went to the White House to see the president yeah, I say yeah, and it was on my birthday. And I was like I was nervous. Yeah, I was nervous, I was so nervous going into that White House, man, I was like golly.

Speaker 1:

And then I went in there with Joyce baby and I looked around, see magic and all them guys. Yeah, I said, well, I'm in the corner and I'm looking at everybody, russell Simmons and all them. I'm like this Well, if I'm in the room I'm gonna be somebody, so they might be wondering who I am so, but man, I just think I mean, it's just a legacy man, it's just so much.

Speaker 1:

Man, I want to be remembered as somebody who Love this family, mm-hmm, no, love God, love his family and love people, and and that's it. Yeah, I'm doing it, still doing it. Yeah, I just In this. You know, somebody says they're gonna build a statue. I'm like I don't know that, you, man, but if they do, they do. I won't know, I'll be, I'll be gone, but I'll, you know, I just want to, I just wanted, I just want people to see that, how ways they can give back to the community. It's don't have to be that big, it's something simple or small. You know, even if you just passing out water for the homeless people that's outside or just feeding the kids, you know just something small. You can, I tell people get involved, you know, don't? You know? Everybody complain about stuff. Get involved and do something, and Start your legacy right.

Speaker 2:

You know, as we wrap the corner, come around the corner. Lassie, can you talk about the growing need For men to get involved or, most importantly, to stay involved?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think it's hard, man. I think Most men, we, we all busy, but you know, I don't think you by busier than me, though, but needs to say is that that we have to Step up in our community in order to get these kids back. That's me, yes, we, we need to do start working on that, because I tell people all the time when they're talking about these kids that you know, when the men step up in a community, we can take care of that, we can take. It's a game changer right there and we need to continue to not put each other down. You know I shouldn't be just because you got a podcast, I got a podcast, you got a million people, I got a hundred. We should support one another and and you know, and love one another to the point like hey man.

Speaker 1:

I'm so happy you doing that.

Speaker 2:

I ain't gotta do it.

Speaker 1:

This is one thing for somebody always talk to me something like well, you always doing stuff. I said well, if you was doing it.

Speaker 3:

I would have to.

Speaker 1:

I wouldn't have to, but it just got stuff. Just God, just lay stuff in my lap. Sometime I'll be like man. I don't want to do this, but he opens the door and Keeps opening it and I'm gonna keep walking through it. I know when it's, I know when I'm, I know what doors to walk through, right, and I learned that For the last 30 years, right, some doors you don't want to walk in, yeah, but I'm man, I'm just. I'm always thankful and grateful to be able to serve. You know I'm gonna. I want to be remembered as a servant leader.

Speaker 2:

That's it, definitely that. Well, I want to thank you for your time, what's important. Thank you for being a part of the community and being that one that everybody can find you, we know where you at yeah man 30 years at that barbershop.

Speaker 2:

I don't think we're answering the call. Yeah, you know God calls us different, different areas, different spaces. But thing I love about you is you stayed. You can stay. You know I didn't have to just go in there, but I wanted to. But you there, you know you there and we appreciate all you're doing in the community. So this brings us in at this episode. Thanks to our special guest out at missing, for sharing as many years of service to making the community and the city better and the country better so well. Thank you for your service to the country. So I want to thank the audience for joining us doing this enlightening and informed discussion on building a legacy and community service. Hope this episode was beneficial to you. As always. Thanks for listening to be a baller podcast.

Speaker 3:

If you enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with family and friends. Be a baller podcast is available on all major podcast stations. Be sure to come back next week as we continue to discuss on how to build a lifelong legacy. Until then, don't forget to be a baller. This podcast was created by coach Tim Brown. It was edited by Tehran how and produced and recorded by the video production class of Worthington Christian High School.

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