Armond was born and raised in Richmond and has dedicated his life to bettering his community. He’s currently the Senior Director of Restoring Neighborhoods at the Richmond Community Foundation, where he helps secure housing for those who are unhoused, empowering young people, overseeing an electric vehicle car sharing program, and fixing up abandoned homes for first time home buyers, among other tasks. He also teaches swim lessons in Black and Brown communities, substitute teaches at West Contra Costa Unified School District and mentors young Black men, all ensuring he’s working toward social justice and equity in his hometown. His tireless commitment to knocking down barriers to opportunity embodies the spirit of courageous action at the heart of the Julie Wright Changemaker Award.
Armond’s story
Richmond is known as “the City of Pride and Purpose,” and Armond Corshawn Lee exemplifies those traits.
Armond has dedicated his professional life and his personal time to making Richmond a better place for everyone, but especially for the Black and Brown community. From the moment he wakes up, to the moment he goes to sleep, he is zeroed in on one mission: improving the lives of those in the community he loves.
As the Senior Director of Restoring Neighborhoods at the Richmond Community Foundation, Armond leads initiatives including securing housing for those who are unhoused, empowering young people in the community, and overseeing an electric vehicle car sharing program to help people access reliable transportation. He also works with RCF to help fix up abandoned homes in the community for first-time home buyers. In turn, he works to help secure money for first time Black home buyers in Richmond, to help increase their wealth and their financial stability.
Lessons from childhood
Armond said being an advocate and to show up for those in his community at all times were instilled in him from his Auntie Pat, who helped raise him, and showed him what it was to lead a life dedicated to service and equity.
“My work is around advocacy because that’s what I was taught to do, advocating for people and looking out for people,” Armond said.
“It’s not even a calling, it’s a charge, it’s what I’m supposed to do, to help people.”
His list of extracurricular activities is expansive. He has built strong relationships with city leaders, and works with the Reimagine Richmond Community Task Force. He supports elders, driving them to appointments and events, and helping them with technology. He’s also involved with The Council of Elders in Richmond, where he supports their efforts advocating for educational improvements for Black and Brown children in West Contra Costa schools. He helps councilmembers mentor and encourage young kids who are struggling.
“The world needs more Armonds,” education advocate Scottie Smith said. Scottie is a former Julie Wright Changemaker Awardee and a member of the Council of Elders. She nominated Armond to receive the award this year.
“I look at him as a young man with determination and a moral compass that guides his work and activism in and out of our community. He has a strong work ethic and a commitment to honoring the legacy of his ancestors and elders in the liberation of Black people, through education and mobilization,” Scottie said.
Wherever Armond is needed in his community, he’ll show up.
“If I see something isn’t right, I am going to fix it,” Armond said.
“When my community hurts, I hurt. When my community needs something, I need it. I always try to find that connection to make sure my community is taken care of.”
Armond also teaches swim lessons, particularly in Black and Brown communities, where drowning rates are much higher. He recognized the shortage of substitute teachers in the West Contra Costa Unified School District and became one.
Empowered by learning
Much of Armond’s dedication to service stems from an African American Studies class he took at Contra Costa Community College. “The class focused on history I was never taught and really opened my eyes to a lot of things,” Armond said. “It made me a greater advocate and motivated me to speak up for the most historically marginalized people.”
That commitment magnified when he transferred to UCLA, where he served as a leader in the Afrikan Student Union and the Harambee council, composed of more than 30 Black organizations. He helped restructure the African American Studies department, and helped establish the Black Bruin Resource Center.
After his return home, his advocacy for the community remained tireless. During the racial reckoning in 2020, Armond coordinated and planned protests, particularly around the allocation of resources for community-focused education and services. As a member of the Reimagining Public Safety Community Task Force, he helped secure funding for Richmond Youth Works and for the Office of Neighborhood Safety. The task force also allocated funding for services for the unhoused community, and for the Community Crisis Response Program, which involved mental health crisis professionals as an alternative to police.
Motivated to make a difference
A sense of purpose and passion will continue to guide Armond’s life. Armond plans to go to law school and also wants to be a showrunner in the entertainment business, so he can help tell empowering stories from an Afrocentric perspective. He recognizes the many complex challenges his community faces and remains committed to driving meaningful change throughout his career. He explained:
“I want everyone to take breaths without being polluted, to live full lives past 16, to walk down the street without racial profiling, to buy the homes they wish, to have children safely with mothers who don’t die in the delivery room, and for everyone to live full and joyous lives.
There’s a specific plight that Black people live in this community, and a world we all envision. …. I continue to dream of a world that is equitable and righteous, integral and joyous.”
