YOUNGSTOWN — To Derrick McDowell, Youngstown is more than a city.

For people who say, “You’re my person” when they find someone who understands them, McDowell said: “This city is that to me.”

His bond to Youngstown likely played a part in McDowell’s role in mediating tensions between protesters and law enforcement Sunday in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.

“I don’t think anyone appointed me or elected me,” he said Thursday. “The only thing I appointed myself as was an observer.”

When McDowell observed heated disagreement at one point Sunday, that’s when he said he jumped into action, interjecting and working to speak with both sides.

Luckily, he was able to help keep that tension down. He could feel that something had happened.

“You could feel it break. You could feel the tension just leave the moment,” McDowell recalled, adding that people still were vocal, but the intensity eased.

“If we don’t recognize that one step further, you might wind up somewhere you didn’t think you would. And that’s easy to do for all of us.”

CHIEF’S VIEW

Youngstown Police Chief Robin Lees said that McDowell “has the best interests of the city.”

Quickly recognizing a possible escalation, Lees said McDowell “saw the opportunity and in essence became the voice of reason.”

Lees said through the years, there has been an emphasis on community policing and involvement locally.

Curriculum for policing has changed, along with philosophy and training.

As the field evolves, Lees said that there is an annual training where use of force is reviewed, along with community relations or diversity.

McDowell said that peace efforts were made possible by local leaders, including 1st Ward Councilman Julius Oliver.

WHAT HAPPENED

McDowell said there was initially an 11:30 a.m. assembly. Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past arranged the youth-driven March for Justice to the Mahoning County Courthouse from the intersection of Wick and Wood streets.

At about 1:30 or 2 p.m., there was a “transition” where participants left, but a different group of people began to arrive downtown.

He said there wasn’t much clarification as to who the 4:30 p.m. event was organized by, but word of mouth on social media likely played a part.

Still, McDowell said that largely, people wanted to keep the protesting peaceful.

“Sunday showed that we do know what community is,” McDowell said. “No one in their deepest hearts … came down to burn down the city. Their hearts might have been burning with passion for what they believed,” he said.

Along with McDowell, Oliver and a core group of others walked around the city with protesters, working to keep things peaceful.

“We take pride in Youngstown. … It was great to be out there,” Oliver said.

Throughout the day, Oliver said that core group kept in contact with each other, working to identify people who were provocateurs from outside of Youngstown. That core group kept violence from happening, Oliver said.

Sunday allowed people to peacefully bring awareness to injustice.

“That good energy is the same good energy that everyone needs to take from Youngstown” going forward, he noted.

WHO HE IS

McDowell, who was born in Youngstown, grew up in Birmingham, Ala. He came back to Youngstown and attended Woodrow Wilson High School and graduated from Chaney High School. McDowell is founder of The Youngstown Flea.

The Youngstown Flea is not necessarily a flea market. According to its website, it hosts a “Market For Makers” once-per-month, in the heart of the city. Its market is dedicated to local / regional vendors of handmade, antique and repurposed wood / metal / furniture, vintage clothing and collectibles

For McDowell, it was after years in “corporate America” and raising a family that he came to realize he has a lot in common with Youngstown, he said.

“It sort of hit me a lot of those same things can be said of Youngstown, that it has been traumatized. It has been counted out,” McDowell said.

Listing things that have happened in his life, McDowell said Youngstown has many of the same similarities: being an underdog, experiencing trauma, despair and hopelessness.

Regardless of how many see the city, McDowell said that the loyalty people feel for it is what kept the assemblies generally positive over the weekend.

“In this city, you don’t need to wait around for permission to love on your town,” McDowell said.