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Waffle House Hero James Shaw Shares His Story on Taking Action

NEW ORLEANS DATA NEWS WEEKLY — National hero James Shaw Jr. spoke on the importance of seizing the moment and treating mental health when his life changed after the Waffle House shooting in 2018 where he disarmed a gunman. He was the guest speaker for the Honors Convocation at Dillard University in the Lawless Memorial Chapel on March 26th.

Published

7 years ago

April 29, 2019

Oakland Post

By Kai Wilson

National hero James Shaw Jr. spoke on the importance of seizing the moment and treating mental health when his life changed after the Waffle House shooting in 2018 where he disarmed a gunman. He was the guest speaker for the Honors Convocation at Dillard University in the Lawless Memorial Chapel on March 26th.

On April 22, 2018, Shaw wrestled and disarmed a mass shooter at an Antioch, Tenn. Waffle House. Four people died, and others were injured, including Shaw, who was grazed by a bullet. The suspect, who had schizophrenia, was committed to a mental hospital and found unfit to stand trial. Although Shaw has been praised for his bravery, along with being honored by BET with the first ever “Humanitarian Award” and by MTC with the “Best Hero Award,” heroism had never crossed his mind.

“[If] your first plan didn’t work, you might have to use your plan B. Because my first plan was to run, but that didn’t work, so I had to use my plan B,” Shaw said, recalling the tragedy. “I will tell you right now that I was not trying to be a hero, I will say that 100 times over.”

The incident showed Shaw that it is always important to react. In that moment, he said he was not thinking of just himself. He said the shooting gave him a different perspective on the value of life.

“I was just trying to live, but me and just trying to live and be selfish actually helped out 17-plus people because the shooter, and a lot of people don’t know this, had 120 rounds…he had discharged 31 bullets in 42 seconds,” Shaw said. “So, the whole incident was just 42-seconds long, but it felt like a lifetime,” he added.

The Tennessee State University alumnus encouraged Dillard students to see excellence in their lives as going beyond academics. He urged them to make a difference for others and to have a greater impact than professional achievements alone.

“Why am I speaking about excellence when you, 250 students have done something I’ve never done in college, which is making the dean’s list,” Shaw told the students. “It’s because excellence goes far beyond scholastic achievements and business ventures.”

“The most important way of displaying and showing excellence is in the way of giving back to the community,” he added.

In addition to his bravery in the Waffle House shooting, Shaw has raised money for the victims of the incident through the James Shaw Jr. Foundation. The theme of the keynote was to always seize opportunities that are given instead of letting them get away. Walter Kimbrough, Dillard’s President, reflected on Shaw’s speech and related it to the lyrics from the Broadway musical, “Hamilton.”

“One song that became popular is called ‘My Shot,’” Kimbrough said. “And ‘When opportunities knock, you don’t send anyone to get it. Answer the door, welcome it, let it in, or regret it,” he recited. Kimbrough motivated students to take on opportunities and to make the most of them just like Shaw did when he disarmed the gunman.

“It just goes to show that normal people can do life-changing [things] and daily commitments that could really change people’s lives,” said Todd Welch, a Dillard student. “You never know what your actions might lead to.”

Graduating seniors were especially moved by the event and plan to continue to use the advice that they were given as they start their professional lives. “I didn’t know who James Shaw was before, but after hearing his story and how he became an accidental hero it really inspired me to seize every moment and take every opportunity and not think that anything happens to me by chance, but it’s by purpose,” said Alexis Granville, a graduating Dillard senior.

This article originally appeared in the New Orleans Data News Weekly.

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‘We Don’t Talk Trash — We Pick Up Trash!’

OAKLAND POST — Following the cleanup, Jones talked with Richard Johnson, CEO of Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back (FIGB). Johnson said he wanted to bring formerly incarcerated nonprofits together not only to help clean up the city, but also to bring youth with them to mentor the next generation.

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12 minutes ago

October 4, 2026

Post News Group

High Street Coalition volunteers pick up trash on Sept. 26. Left to right are: Jo Ann, Ruben, JoJo, Jess, Jonathan ‘Fitness’ Jones and Linda in front. Photo courtesy of Linda.

By Dr. Maritony Jones, Special to The Post

When community activist Jonathan “Fitness” Jones heard concerns from senior residents in East Oakland about illegal dumping, recurring trash issues and the health hazards they created, he decided that watching the problem was not enough.

Jones, a member of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) and an Oakland Private Industry Council board member, learned that seniors were frustrated by the recurrence of illegal dumping even when trash has been cleared. Recurring trash can contribute to unsanitary conditions, attract rodents and leave residents feeling that their neighborhoods are being overlooked.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, Mr. Jones joined High Street Coalition volunteers at Dick’s Donuts near High Street and Quigley Street, spending the morning picking up trash and helping beautify the surrounding neighborhood.

High Street Coalition volunteers organize community cleanups on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

Following the cleanup, Jones talked with Richard Johnson, CEO of Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back (FIGB). Johnson said he wanted to bring formerly incarcerated nonprofits together not only to help clean up the city, but also to bring youth with them to mentor the next generation.

Jones and Johnson discussed developing a community model that brings formerly incarcerated individuals, Oakland youth and nonprofit organizations together to clean and beautify the city.

The vision is to create opportunities for formerly incarcerated adults to take leadership roles while mentoring young people through hands-on community service. The program could also provide youth with opportunities to develop leadership skills, learn teamwork and responsibility, and potentially gain employment experience.

The goal is bigger than removing trash from the streets. It is about restoring neighborhoods while building relationships between generations and creating opportunities for people with lived experience to give back to their communities.

Jones believes the message is simple:

“We don’t talk trash, we pick up trash.”

The proposed collaboration seeks to bring Oakland nonprofits, formerly incarcerated leaders, youth, residents, businesses and community organizations together around a shared purpose — cleaning the town, beautifying Oakland and building a stronger community together.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

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October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

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Asm. Corey Jackson Announces Launch of 24-Hour Childcare in His District

Assemblymember Corey Jackson has secured $2 million in state funding for a proposed childcare special district in Moreno Valley and Perris. This funding aims to establish a system providing 24-hour, seven-day-a-week childcare, which would be California’s first special district focused solely on childcare. The initiative seeks to address the area’s designation as a “childcare desert” and high costs for working families. The funding will cover startup, planning, and formation costs for the district. Read more about the specifics of this groundbreaking initiative.

Published

7 days ago

September 28, 2026

Post News Group

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley). File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) has secured $2 million in state funding to launch a proposed childcare special district serving families in Moreno Valley and Perris, paving the way for a system designed to provide childcare 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Moreno Valley-Perris Childcare Special District would be the first special district in California focused specifically on childcare, according to Jackson’s office. The state funding will cover startup, planning, and formation costs and help the district meet requirements set by the Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO.

The proposed district would coordinate a mixed-delivery childcare system that could include home-based and center-based care. The goal is to provide universal childcare for families who work overnight, early morning, or other nontraditional shifts.

Jackson’s office says Moreno Valley is a certified “childcare desert,” with licensed childcare spaces available for only 15% of children with working parents. Infant care in Moreno Valley averages $2,776 a month, or about 35.7% of median household income. In Perris, licensed infant care can cost more than 60% of an individual worker’s gross median earnings, according to the assemblymember’s office.

“Securing this $2 million in startup funding is a monumental victory for the working-class families of Moreno Valley and Perris who have been trapped in a childcare desert for far too long,” Jackson said.

The proposal follows Jackson’s unsuccessful effort to establish the district through Assembly Bill 2083. The legislation would have created the district as a dependent special district covering Moreno Valley, Perris and their spheres of influence, with Riverside LAFCO responsible for reviewing its formation and boundaries.

The new funding allows the district’s formation to move forward without requiring mandatory contributions from local school districts and other stakeholders, according to Jackson’s office. His spokesperson, Daniel Peeden, said Jackson hopes the district can be operating by 2028.

The proposal has faced questions from some local officials. Moreno Valley City Councilmember Ed Delgado, who is running against Jackson for the 60th Assembly District seat, said he supports affordable childcare but questioned how the proposed district would operate and how much it would ultimately cost.

“Basically, he didn’t have a plan. We didn’t see a plan,” Delgado said, adding that officials had questions about operating costs, insurance and eligibility.

“It’s going to take a lot more than $2 million to create a special district to provide affordable childcare,” Delgado said.

Delgado has suggested working with existing childcare centers to subsidize costs for local families rather than creating a new agency.

Jackson’s office says the program will lower barriers to “workforce participation” and reduce “affordability anxiety” for young families. This landmark District is poised to trigger a virtuous cycle of economic upward mobility and long-term regional prosperity in the 60th Assembly District, his office added.