HomeNews/EventsPress ReleasesCommunity Builder: Local Resident of 50+ Years, Rosalind Randle, Learns Construction, Takes Maritime Center Restoration into Her Own Hands

Community Builder: Local Resident of 50+ Years, Rosalind Randle, Learns Construction, Takes Maritime Center Restoration into Her Own Hands

Hearing the name "Rosalind Randle" brings forth warm feelings in many people. A community activist, leader and mentor, "Roz"--as she is affectionately known--has lived and worked in North Richmond and Richmond for more than 50 years. Her roots in the community run deep.

Ms. Randle's interest in the Maritime Center restoration is personal. The Maritime Center, located at the corner of Harbour Way South and Florida Avenue, was one of the first child development centers in the country, started as a place for the children of women who worked in the Kaiser Shipyards during World War II. Following the war, it continued to operate as a school for more than sixty years. Ms. Randle's grandmother worked in the Kaiser Shipyards in the 1940s. Her niece attended school at the Maritime Center in the 1970s. Her granddaughter now attends kindergarten at Richmond College Prep Schools (RCPS), a public charter school located on the site that serves primarily students from Santa Fe, Coronado, and Iron Triangle neighborhoods.

While Ms. Randle's commitment to the Maritime Center renovation comes as no surprise, the way she got involved in the actual rehabilitation is unusual. Rosalind Randle balked at conventional retirement after serving 15 years as a Recreation Specialist for the City of Richmond. In the vein of another "double-R" name, (that is, "Rosie the Riveter,") she became a construction worker at the Maritime Center. "I wanted to change my career field, and use my skills in building to be creative," she stated. "I was excited to work with my hands."

Ms. Randle received a flier from Tana Monteiro at RCPS that advertised the Ted and Carol Smith program that helps prepare people to take the entrance examination for RichmondBUILD, and gain training in construction trades. She enrolled in the two-week course, passed the test in the third week, and then entered RichmondBUILD. There, she learned carpentry, energy efficiency, insulation, and solar energy technical skills. Following her training, she was assigned to several different job sites; employers ranged from 14-50 employees in size. She also joined the Richmond Carpenters' Union 152, based in Martinez.

F. Rodgers Corporation had been contracted to do the insulation work on the Maritime Center. The renovation project is subject to a "local hire" ordinance that mandates that 20% of work hours will be completed by Richmond residents. The requirement was exceeded on the Maritime project at 42% local hire work hours. Ms. Randle was offered a job at the Maritime Center construction site through RichmondBUILD which works closely with employers to ensure Richmond residents are hired.

As a community advocate, Ms. Randle recounted that she was eager to help "right here where I live." She was happy to be employed by F. Rodgers, and engaged her skills and her own hands to install the insulation in all of the rooms at the Maritime Center. She explained: "I thought it was going to be really hard, but actually it's more like making a bed...a lot of folding. These are hazardous materials, so you need to keep a mask on at all times. You just have to be safe."

While she often found herself to be the only woman on the job site, she reported that everyone she worked with was excellent and that it was a great experience. "The guys were very helpful in translating school into the real world," she began. "I'm very grateful for this opportunity. To restore historic buildings is an honor."

Generosity and working for community change are ingrained in Rosalind Randle's personal and family histories. "God works in mysterious ways," she explained. "When you get your blessing, share it."

Ms. Randle's grandfather was Charley Reid, star pitcher of the Pierce Giants and a strong Richmond leader. He was one of the main forces responsible for building community in North Richmond as Recreation Director of Shields Park (now Shields-Reid Park.) Her parents also dedicated themselves to community work. The Recreation Center began as a clubhouse to feed the people living in the area. The family would be out in the front yard welcoming people they "wouldn't know from a can of paint."

"I was sometimes a bad kid and a tomboy and I used to fight," Ms. Randle recalled. "But looking back, I am thankful for my upbringing which was 'old school.' I was taught to be respectful."

Ms. Randle has three biological children and has had as many as 13 children living with her at one time. She has been known to welcome passersby into her home, mentor youth and perform quiet acts of kindness--such as secretly paying for a stranger's lunch. "Everything I do, I try to make something good of it," she affirmed.

Ms. Randle still coaches girls' softball in North Richmond. "There's so much talent here!" she exclaimed. A coach both on and off the field, she urges young people to continue to go to school: "Don't just aspire to be a rapper; aim to be doctor or a lawyer...really be successful."

True community leaders and stewards like Rosalind Randle are examples for those of us who are at work in Richmond and North Richmond each day-hoping to make a positive difference. Ms. Randle offered encouraging words: "I see a change...it's coming...and that's a good thing."

By April Suwalsky

September 28, 2011

 **Note** As the date nears of the Maritime Center Grand Reopening, we have endeavored to document some of the diverse connections people have to this historic place. We have been touched by the community members who have stepped forward to share their memories and experiences. This profile is the first in a series of stories based on informal interviews our community engagement staff members have conducted over the past few months.  

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