NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It was May of 2020 when Shawn Dromgoole shared his fears in a post on NextDoor.
"My family's lived in this neighborhood at this point now it's been 57, 58 years and the neighborhood has changed so much," recalled Dromgoole. "So a lot of people who look like me who lived in the neighborhood that I lived in as a child don't live here anymore, their children don't live here anymore."
As racial tensions escalated across the country, Dromgoole said he didn't feel safe in his 12 South neighborhood. The post caught the attention of many in the community.
With a little encouragement from family he decided to go on that now famous walk, with a surprise from his neighbors.
"We met at the Cookery up 12th Avenue and we walked," said Dromgoole. "We walked to this park."
Beth Urbanczyk remembered that day. "I saw this long train of people and I was like 'what in the world is going on in my neighborhood'," she said.
Now three years and more than 100 walks later, Dromgoole is still celebrating what's become known as 'We Walk With Shawn'.
"My favorite thing about the walks is getting the chance to hear people's stories," said Drew Castle who was in attendance for the third anniversary walk. "Getting to know people, getting to know where they come from, who they are, their family members, their dogs, things like that."
Dromgoole has taken walks in communities across the country, formed a partnership with NextDoor and is now launching a non-profit. But in the end, he said it's all about bringing communities together.
"I always say it's the 'we' that makes the walks possible," he Dromgoole. "Everyone looks at me and goes 'oh my God it's Shawn, we walk with Shawn' and I'm like it's a 'we', it's a collective effort of community making something better."
