Maxie Johnson continues to show up and give back to the same community where his son lost his life.
Johnson says being out on the field with the South Oak Cliff High football team has helped him through one of his darkest hours.
"I'm a community guy," said Johnson. "These boys are my heart."
As a Dallas Independent School District Board trustee and Oak Cliff native, Johnson says he wants the best for these young men.
"When I talked to all the kids in District five, my word is win," he said. "That win transcends the field. It goes into our homes. It goes into our community. And they understand where I'm coming from when I say win."
It's a lesson that could alter a young person's life. A lesson that he can no longer pass on to one of his own sons, Christopher Johnson.
"Losing a son is very hard. It's something that no parent should be able to go through," he said.
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21-year-old Christopher Johnson was shot and killed earlier this month on Utah Avenue in Dallas. He died in what's been called one of the city's most dangerous summers in decades.
"I don't want to see any kid die early. I don't want to see any parent have to bury their children behind senseless gun violence or any senseless act of violence period."
He said one the last things his son talked about what achieving a goal of obtaining a college degree.
"The night before he passed he was telling his sister I'm getting ready to go back to school," said Johnson. "He wanted to go back to college and finish getting his degree."
As he paces the sidelines and cheers on his son's alma mater, he knows there's still hope for the young people who are still here.
"It is a sacrifice to be here. But it is my job. It is my duty as a pastor. It is my duty as a community organizer to make sure that the kids know that no matter what I'm going through I want to serve you."
The investigation into Christopher Johnson's death is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Dallas Police.
