Correction: This article has been updated with Lawrence Williams' correct elementary school educational background.

Five candidates are running for the 6th District seat on City Council this year, the largest number in a single contest. 

the 6th is the only district that borders every other City Council district.

The hopefuls are Lawrence Williams, Denzel Grant, Stan Johnson, George Raudenbush and Charles Frazier. They are vying for the seat currently held by Gwen McKenzie, who could not run for reelection because of term limits.

The district is associated by many as only including East Knoxville, but it encompasses Downtown, Mechanicsville and Marble City as well. The 6th is the only district to share a boundary with every other district in the city, and some of its neighborhoods are among the city’s most economically challenged. 

Politically, the district is the bluest sector of the city. While city elections are nonpartisan, its voters have overwhelmingly supported Democrats at all levels for decades. The city’s only minority-majority district, the 6th has elected an African-American representative to Council every election since the district framework was put in place in 1969.

Because of the size of the field, we are splitting the 6th District candidate profiles. Today we focus on Williams, Grant and Johnson; an article featuring Raudenbush and Frazier will run in the coming days.

Lawrence Williams

Born and raised in the heart of East Knoxville, Williams says he’s never strayed from the community that raised him, and now he’s ready to take what he’s learned by turning his life around to serve others.

Williams, 50, is running for the 6th District seat on Knoxville City Council, which represents many of the city’s historically Black and economically underserved neighborhoods. His candidacy is grounded in decades of lived experience, including ministry and mentoring young people through the same tough challenges he once faced as a young Black man.

“I’m not a politician,” Williams said in an interview at Fern Street Missionary Baptist Church in Burlington. “I’m a servant for the people. I know what it’s like out here for a lot of these folks because I’ve lived it.”

Williams grew up between the Walter P. Taylor Homes and Austin Homes housing projects, with family in both the inner city and more suburban pockets of East Knoxville. He attended Eastport, Green Elementary, Sarah Moore Green Elementary, and Vine Middle schools, and graduated from Austin-East High School. Today, both a father and husband, he lives with his wife near the Burlington district and serves full-time in ministry at Honey Rock Victorious Church in the same neighborhood.

But it’s his work with youth through his organization Safe Haven, a mentoring and life-skills program he co-founded in 2010, that he says truly prepared him for public service. That, along with his years in the streets, years in foster care, and having experienced homelessness for himself.

“We started Safe Haven before we had the house over off Magnolia. We started it in a gym. It was about pulling in young men, mentoring them, showing them a better way than what’s out there for them in these streets,” Williams said.

That commitment to young people, and the structural challenges they face, is a key part of Williams’ campaign platform. As someone who turned his life around after having faced poverty, the system, and going without basic necessities, he knows the value of simply having a roof over your head and a good meal.

“We’ve got a lot of these young folks that are trying to go to school and they don’t even know where they’re going to sleep that night,” he said, pointing to what he calls a neglected crisis of homeless youth in the city. “We want to blame them when things go wrong, but we don’t want to hold ourselves accountable for why they’re out here. That was me and I know exactly what it’s like in these streets and what led me out there.”

Williams is also vocal about the displacement he sees happening in East Knoxville, which he attributes to outside developers and unchecked gentrification.

“You go down Magnolia (Avenue) and on one end, they’ve got it looking nice. On the other end, nothing. People who’ve lived here their whole lives are being told they’ve got 30 days to move out because their home got sold out from under them,” he said. “We need someone who’s going to be a voice for all of us to stop that from happening.”

Williams says he was encouraged by others to run, and after prayer and reflection, decided to enter the race. He sees the campaign as a natural extension of the work he’s already been doing for years through his ministry and street outreach programming. He also knows a thing or two about what keeps young people out of trouble.

“Sports was our gateway,” he explained. “We brought in kids from Lonsdale, Walter P., Mechanicsville, Austin Homes, even gang members from Chattanooga were coming out. And when they got to know each other, we had less violence. Just respect.”

That principle of respect, he says, is what the streets taught him most. “The streets taught me how to be a man. You treat people right, or you don’t last,” he said. “I learned morals and wisdom from the elders I was around.”

Williams has also led peace rallies and community vigils. In 2022, he organized a march and rally in East Knoxville after the community lost multiple young lives to gun violence. He also took part in protests to stop gun shows at Chilhowee Park in 2019.

He is staunchly opposed to the mayor’s proposed sales tax increase, citing the burden it would place on low-income residents. “People in our district are already struggling. Rent’s going up, food costs are up. We can’t afford another hit,” he said.

If elected, Williams says his priorities will include affordable housing, youth programming, and ensuring inner-city neighborhoods get equal investment. He’s also pushing for transparency and accountability from city leadership.

“I’ve seen what happens when decisions are made without us,” he said. “I remember when we had a pool at E.V. Davidson (Recreation Center). I remember when kids could play baseball at Claude Walker (Park). Now, a lot of our kids are left out. That sense of community we once had, a lot of that is gone and we need someone who is going to be a voice to help bring that back.”

He also expressed concern about a lack of inclusive leadership within Black communities in Knoxville. “Just because you may look like me doesn’t mean you speak for me,” he said. “We have a select few making decisions for the Black community, and it shouldn’t be that way.”

Williams’ campaign is gaining momentum, he said, despite not having the institutional support of establishment candidates and leaders. “People know I’ve been out here doing the work. Since 2010, we’ve been showing up,” he said. “I’m not going to be a puppet for anybody. I’m going to stand for the people and do what’s right.”

In forums and on the campaign trail, his message is consistent: trust, transparency, and a deep love for East Knoxville.

“If you’re looking for a politician, I’m not your man,” Williams said. “But if you’re looking for someone who will fight for you, listen to you, and never stop showing up, I’m already doing that and that’s why I’m running.”

Denzel Grant

At 34, Denzel Grant is the youngest candidate vying for the 6th District seat, but he says his experience as a military veteran, father of one, and executive director of the violence interruption organization Turn Up Knox speaks volumes.

Born and raised in East Knoxville’s Austin Homes, while also having spent time in New Jersey and now living in the Burlington neighborhood, Grant has spent the last several years working on the frontlines of gun violence prevention and public safety. He says he’s running to bring accountability, transparency, and true grassroots leadership to the city’s most diverse and historically neglected district.

“District Six is the heartbeat of the city. I truly believe that,” Grant said in an interview at the downtown Crowne Plaza hotel. “It’s where diversity is at its peak racially, generationally, economically. And if we learn to see that as a strength instead of a division, we can build a Knoxville that works for everyone.”

Grant’s campaign message is centered on systemic change, especially for those on the margins. People without IDs, without GEDs, and without access to basic services. “Nobody’s listening,” he said. “Not just to the Black community, but to the marginalized, the people who aren’t showing up to city meetings because they’re just trying to survive.”

He believes that his experience leading Turn Up Knox, an initiative rooted in community-based violence interruption, gave him both data and insight into what works, and what doesn’t, when addressing public safety.

“Violence interruption shouldn’t just be a strategy cities adopt when the numbers go up,” Grant said. “It should be a way of life. And the numbers don’t lie, up until 2022, youth violence was increasing at a staggering rate. We helped change that.”

Though the city canceled its contract with Turn Up Knox in February, citing concerns about documentation and record keeping, Grant says the real story was more complicated.

“I was asked to change our reporting style in a way that, to me, compromised the integrity of the program and endangered the people we serve,” he explained. “I wasn’t willing to put my staff or our community at risk just to meet a checkbox.”

Despite the controversy, Grant insists the experience deepened his resolve to run, a dream he’s had ever since the late City Councilman Danny Mayfield came and knocked on his door when he was in grade school.

“What happened with the city didn’t break me. If anything, it made me stronger,” he said. “I was going to run for office anyway. But that experience clarified why we need more people with direct community ties in positions of power.”

Grant’s military background after high school, including three years in the Army, also shaped his approach to leadership. “The discipline, the teamwork, the sense of mission, it stuck with me,” he said. “And I’ve carried that into everything I’ve done since.”

Grant says his top priorities if elected will include redefining and expanding access to affordable housing, continued violence interruption, and improving education in its broadest sense by ensuring that residents are resourced, not just informed.

“When I say education, I don’t just mean schools,” he said. “I mean helping people understand how to navigate systems, how to access services, how to advocate for themselves.”

He’s also a vocal opponent of Mayor Kincannon’s proposed sales tax increase. “People are struggling,” he said. “A few cents on a backpack might not sound like much, but when folks are trying to figure out how to put gas in their car, any extra expense is too much. I’ve knocked on doors across the district, and the message is clear: they can’t afford it, and they really don’t want it.”

While his campaign is faring well in terms of door knocking and fundraising, Grant is leaning on sweat equity. “I won’t be outworked. We have knocked over a thousand doors and are working on a thousand more,” he said. “The man-hours I’m putting in, the community support, the trust I’ve built, it’s real.”

He believes his age and generational perspective are strengths, especially when it comes to youth engagement. “I’ve been where a lot of our young people are,” Grant said. “I’ve lost friends. I’ve served my country. I’ve fought to build something in this community. And I’ve had to do it all under a microscope.”

For Grant, leadership means more than policy, it’s about presence.

“I’ve been with people at their lowest, when they’ve lost loved ones to violence, when they didn’t know where their next meal was coming from,” he said. “That changes you. That humbles you. And that’s what sets me apart.”

He adds, “A vote for me is a vote for your children, your grandchildren, for future generations. Because I’m not just running to be on Council, I’m running to build something lasting.”

Grant emphasized that for far too long, internal division within the community has stifled progress in the district. He said he wants to see the community come together across generational, racial, and economic lines.

“We’ve been divided, and it’s held us back. We haven’t seen the progress we deserve, and not enough has changed,” he said. “I am the only candidate who can truly unify this district across age, race, background, and income.”

Stan Johnson

When Stan Johnson arrived in Knoxville in 1989 to attend Knoxville College, he said that Historic Black College and University (HBCU) experience prepared him for a lifetime of leadership.

Originally from Black River, Jamaica, Johnson came to the United States as a migrant worker, picking fruit in Florida and up and down the East Coast before pursuing higher education at the historic college.

“I was today’s dreamer, as they would call it,” Johnson said.

Now, the 54-year-old executive director of SEEED (Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development), father of four, and grandfather of four, hopes to bring his decades of business experience, grassroots organizing, and environmental justice work to the 6th District.

“I came here to get an education, met my wife of 28 years, raised my family here, and made this city home,” he said.

Johnson’s career spans both the private and nonprofit sectors. After graduating from college in 1995, he combined his academic background with a passion for cars to begin a career at Ted Russell Nissan in Knoxville. Starting as a car salesman and later advancing to finance manager, he worked there from 1995 to 2002. During this time, he also invested in real estate and helped relocate his mother and siblings to Knoxville, laying the groundwork for their future.

In 2002, Johnson launched the Stan Johnson Super Auto Center on Magnolia Avenue in East Knoxville, co-founding the business with his brother and longtime friend JD Jackson. The dealership quickly became more than just a business — it became a space for community, hosting classes on financial literacy, car maintenance, and college preparation.

But it was a spiritual calling and the urging of a friend that led him into community work full-time. Though his earlier bid for Knox County Commission was unsuccessful, the loss didn’t deter him. He went on to serve for eight years on the Metropolitan Planning Commission (now the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission).

“I really thought I was done after selling my dealership,” he recalled. “Then the Lord came calling.”

That call led Johnson to Tribe One, an inner-city nonprofit started by former city councilmen, the late Danny Mayfield and Chris Woodhull, supporting young people in East Knoxville. He later co-founded SEEED in 2009 — an organization that now provides green job training, solar home construction, and weatherization services, all while mentoring youth and promoting sustainability.

SEEED was inspired by national models like Van Jones' green jobs movement and Homeboy Industries. Johnson envisioned a local pathway that could help young people earn a living wage, reduce crime, and strengthen neighborhoods, all while addressing housing inequities and lowering energy burdens.

“I’ve been saying it for years … nothing stops a bullet like a job,” Johnson said. “If you have a job that pays well, you’re not out hanging around at 2 a.m. looking for trouble. I wanted to help young people be able to be a part of what I would call America, right? Without them having to conform to the American capitalistic society. And that’s by learning a trade. A trade that could turn into a career, that could turn into a business, where you’re the one that actually owns it, and you’re the one that’s employing other people.”

If elected, Johnson said he will continue to prioritize affordable housing, youth opportunities, and public safety, the same issues he has addressed for nearly two decades through SEEED. He also shared his role in helping Knoxville Utilities Board launch its Round It Up program, which now generates over $1 million annually for weatherization services matched by TVA.

“That’s a big win, and we helped make that happen by working together with the city and utilities,” he said.

His long-range vision includes building sustainable, energy-efficient homes on vacant lots, especially in East Knoxville.

“People thought I was crazy. I’m sitting up here as a car guy, a capitalist. They said, ‘You’re going into nonprofit work, you’re going to help kids, and you’re going to do what?’” he said. “And it wasn’t just a vision of helping young adults. It was about helping the community understand that we’re in an energy burden situation. That’s what’s making housing costs rise so much. The housing stock that we can afford comes with utility bills so high that you’ve put yourself in an unaffordable situation. And I knew we could help change that.”

Johnson also said he is deeply opposed to the displacement of longtime East Knoxville residents and is a strong advocate for keeping generational property in the community.

“I always say: Don’t sell grandma’s house. We’ve gotta buy back the ’hood,” he said. “We need to teach people the process, how to get a city lot, how to build a home, how to keep wealth in the community.”

Despite his community-first approach, Johnson said he never envisioned running for office until former District 6 Councilwoman Gwen McKenzie asked him to pray about it.

“She planted the seed,” Johnson said. “Then my wife was supportive, my pastor Daryl Arnold told me I had been ignoring God’s voice, and I knew it was time.”

In a district facing deep challenges in housing, safety, and equity, Johnson says his story, from migrant worker to business owner to nonprofit leader, is proof that transformational change is possible. And he is clear that it’s about working together.

“I’m proud that four Black men are running. That’s historic,” he said. “We need to elevate each other, but we also need people who are willing to serve, not just talk.”

With nearly 20 years of on-the-ground experience, Johnson said he’s ready to get to work on day one.

“Land use, zoning, development — those are 70 percent of what City Council does, and I’ve already been doing what others are promising they’ll do,” he said.

When asked what separates him from the other candidates in the race, Johnson pointed to his track record.

“I’ve built homes, created jobs, and worked with every level of government,” he said. “You don’t want your surgeon’s first operation to be on you, you want someone who knows what they’re doing.”