NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville man's fear of walking in his own neighborhood grew into a community movement that brought dozens of strangers together and his family said his legacy lives on.
Shawn Dromgoole grew up in 12 South, a neighborhood his family had called home for generations. But in 2020, as national unrest followed the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, the streets he once walked without fear felt different.
His mother, Lynetra Dunn, recalled what he told her.
"He said 'mom it is like a force field. I can't get off the porch. I can't do that to you.' The neighborhood is very gentrified we're one of the few black families remaining," Dunn said.
To help him overcome that fear, Dunn began walking with Shawn and sharing their journey online. What started as a mother and son walking together quickly became something much larger.
"And when we got there there was like at least 50 people standing there waiting. My son said what are we doing mama and I said Who are all these people I said I don't know," Dunn said.
Shawn's family called him by his middle name, Marcus. His sister, Amber, said his legacy is not just his name but how he saw and built community.
"If people remember something I want them to remember that my brother always saw community as an action. He saw community as being a service its something that grows but grows out of reciprocity," Amber said.
His family said Shawn was deeply aware of racial injustice and his role in bringing people together in a changing neighborhood.
"But the peace I had was he had he he fulfilled his mission. He did what he was called to do," said Dunn.
Shawn passed away suddenly. But the Walks with Shawn remind us all of kindness, courage, and belonging.
A concert at the Scarritt Bennett Center will honor Shawn this Friday at 7 p.m.
Are you or someone you know connected to the Walks with Shawn movement, or have you experienced the power of community in your own neighborhood? We want to hear your story. Watch the full report above and share your thoughts with reporter Kim Rafferty — your experience could help shape our next story on community, belonging, and social justice in Nashville.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Here’s a beautiful story of how one mother turned her grief journey into a gathering of gratitude… and organ donation awareness.
Robb Coles highlights a special event organized by Cari Hollis – whose 26-year old son Austin died two years ago. Austin agreed to be an organ donor – and that single gesture saved multiple lives.
Cari reached out to as many recipients she could find – several of whom traveled to Nashville for an emotional celebration in Austin’s honor. One woman – whose life was saved by receiving Austin’s lungs – put it simply: “He’s my angel”.
- Rhori Johnston
