I did not know this man, and I’m sure it my loss. Denny Denson, a pastor in Franklin, Tennessee, for several years, has gone home to the Lord at age 68. He had been a Black Panther in the 70s and left it behind in ’79. Since then, he founded several non-profits and became a pastor.

One of his friends said, “Denny did have a gift of being able to encourage the leadership around him to step up. We realize that it’s impossible to fill Denny’s shoes. We’ve got to step up in our own way.”

Another friend said this:

“Denny Denson had an impact on my life in small ways and in profound ways. I met Denny 12 years ago through the Empty Hands Fellowship,” Bousquet said. “I was in awe that he was a member of the Black Panthers. I once told him I wished I was older so I could have participated in the civil rights movement, but he quickly shattered my idealistic dreams by sharing what a rough time it was.

“I love a quote Denny said that exemplified his life, ‘When nobody stirs up the pot, those at the bottom gets burned,’” Bousquet said. “Denny was always an advocate for the poor and the marginalized in our society. He was the founder and architect of Hard Bargain Mt. Hope Redevelopment. It was so important to him to preserve and revitalize this historic neighborhood because it is a significant part of Franklin’s history. His passion for workforce housing in our community was contagious. He cared deeply for low-income families and sought to be an advocate and a part of the solution to this titanic problem in Franklin.”