A Knoxville mother was honored Thursday afternoon for her work to fight violent crime.

Zenobia Dobson, the mother of Zaevion Dobson, was honored as Knoxville’s 2018 Voice for Victims. Zaevion was gunned down in the Lonsdale community in 2016 and since then Zenobia has become an advocate for crime victims. She’s worked to raise awareness about gun violence and its impact on youth. 

Zenobia also established the Zaevion Dobson Memorial Foundation to serve as a safe place for youth to gather, play and learn together.

“We share their stories,” Zenobia said. “We share their memories. It’s important because they are our loved ones and we never want them to be forgotten.”

The award was part of National Crime Victims Celebration Week.