“Every once in a while a person comes along who defies the odds, who defies logic, and fulfills an incredible dream.” Rocky Balboa
Rocky Balboa is one the most enduring characters in movie history and that legacy has continued for nearly five decades. Andre Knight has served twenty years as the councilman for Ward 1. He has stood in the ring and at the end of each fight the referee raises his arm above his head: The Victor. His aura reflects the power he has accrued for himself. It says, “Don’t bother to get in the ring with me. You will regret it.”
Troy Davis is going to do just that. Small in stature, fit, trim, he has been training for this fight for years, Like the rest of us he has grown and changed over the years and found his calling on Main Street where he has been rebuilding his community brick by brick, window by window and door by door.
This championship fight will have a huge audience. Rocky Mount citizens will surround the ring – Ward 1 – where the match takes place because the outcome effects all of us. This is a fight for change, for integrity, for an end to rigging the system, for restoring Rocky Mount’s reputation that has been damaged by corruption and selfishness. Troy Davis has fought his way to the other side of taking a punch and getting up to fight another day. He has taken his licks, and found himself standing on Main Street where he works to preserve, restore and repurpose our commercial architecture and improve the housing for those who need someone to act on their behalf. Ward 1, for everyone’s sake, it is time for a change and that change will happen with Troy Davis.
“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
Rocky Balboa
Main Street Rocky Mount 