Davionte Terrell said he and some friends were in the middle of buying some lemonades at the Lilac Festival when he heard a commotion and noticed an older woman screaming on the ground next to him.
After a quick assessment Terrell said he tossed his drink, and with the help of some other patrons, managed to move the woman out of the way preventing her from being trampled by a group of teenagers fighting.
“It was just instinct, but I dove for her,” Terrell said. The 24-year-old from Rochester, said it was just the right thing to do.
“That's regular good people stuff,” he said. “If you're a good person, and you’re a God person, you're going to do stuff like that.”
But others in the community consider Terrell’s response heroic. Evangela Stanley, owner of Peoples Choice Restaurant, called on other business owners, including The Mobile Spa and Quick’s Mane Event Barbershop, to assist her in recognizing the young men as “unsung heroes”.
“It’s just to put a spotlight on them to let them know, ‘Hey, we see you, that is great, you're raised right, and I love it,’” Stanley said.
Terrell said he was raised in a household that valued good morals. His father, Stanley Patterson, said he is proud that his son is being recognized for something positive.
“Being Black and growing up in a world where everybody thinks you're wrong first and right second, I try to remind him that he doesn't have to be everything that he sees,” Patterson said. “And that he can be the change that he wants to see.”
The recognition comes at a time when fights continue to occur among young people at public events and spaces. Evangela Stanley said this is a moment when the community can help change the narrative by highlighting the young people who are doing the right thing.
“I hope and pray we find a resolution for this soon, but these young men stepped up and did something incredible,” Stanley said. “And I thank God that he (Terrell) was in the right place at the right time to render aid.”
