Remembering a Champion of Change
by Attica Scott
"None of us alone can save the nation or world. But each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so."
—Cornel West, 1994
Danny Mayfield just wanted to make a positive difference in Knoxville. That's what I've been thinking about recently as March marked one year since Danny's death.
Danny wanted to make a difference in politics, race relations, and in a whole lot of other areas. He tried. But we sure fought hard to hold onto our ignorance, differences and plain old frustrations.
Even though we still have a long way to go, I do think that we have grown as a community in the past year. Yes, much of that growth can be attributed to the life-altering events of September 11. Yet, a part of me believes that Danny's legacy deserves some of the credit.
The way I see it, Danny's triumph in winning the 6th District City Council seat in 1997 gave folks the courage to think that they too could run for office and make a difference. Just look at all of the people who campaigned for the 6th District seat in 2001.
It was also the way that Danny served on City Council that helped change the way that many of us in this community viewed the political process. Danny always asked questions, invited his constituents to attend Council meetings, treated all people equally and with respect, and he always voted the way he believed he should vote, not the way he should vote if he wanted to win another election. In essence, Danny served with humanity and humility. This is important because Danny did not get into politics for the sake of Danny Mayfield. He was encouraged by a network of people who wanted a change in city government and who saw in him the opportunity for change.
But it's the legacy that Danny has left us that I often ponder and the way that his death affected so many of us, including our mayor. I think that our mayor has been affected by Danny's passing and by the way many in our community responded after Danny's death. I say this because this time last year we weren't singing the praises of Mayor Victor Ashe the way that we are now. I recall very different sentiments among Mayfield supporters.
Now we applaud the way the mayor is serving out the end of his term: continuing to hire people of color in key administrative positions, sounding off on county issues, and being an all-around great guy.
I think that our city was affected by Danny's death and realized that it was time for a changing of the guard on City Council. And our city finally seems willing to listen to community-led economic development initiatives, like the Five Points Redevelopment.
Danny would have been thrilled that the Police Advisory and Review Commission was finally institutionalized as part of the city government, albeit it took his death to make that happen.
However, I think that he would have been extremely disappointed by the way the Knoxville Police Department launched a smear campaign against an organization that Danny supported, Citizens for Police Review, over its camcorder troopers idea. Because, in case we've forgotten, Danny dedicated so much of himself to working with youth who had been incarcerated or were leading lives that would ultimately lead to incarceration or death. So he would not have demeaned the efforts of a community-based organization that says that all people should have a say in the way their community is policed, regardless of their backgrounds.
I say all of this to say that we must not forget the legacy of Danny Mayfield. That legacy includes the two children who used to live here but were no longer welcome after their father died because their mother was not a "native Knoxvillian." Maybe his passing will remind us that people who were not born and raised in Knoxville often make more significant contributions than the natives.
Speaking of contributions, Danny's legacy will be honored this month by Community Shares with its second annual "Danny Mayfield Champion of Change" award, which this year will be presented to Loretta Bradley of the Community Action Committee staff. What a fitting tribute to one who gave so much.
April 11, 2002 * Vol. 12, No. 15
© 2002 Metro Pulse
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