Karim Mayfield
Photo Credit: Joe Budd
“You always got to bring it back to the neighborhood.”
My name’s Karim Mayfield, I was born and raised in San Francisco, in the Fillmore. We call it The Mo.
To be honest, there wasn’t nothing to do in the hood. I’d be chillin’ on the block, fresh out of high school, kinda wasting time. I was 18, just wanting to get by and have fun.
One day I was hanging around The Bundle, that was this spot where everyone would just hang out, shoot dice, you know. All of a sudden the cops jumped out and everyone scatters, but I was in the car smoking with my friend; who’s no longer alive, rest in peace.
The cops searched the car and found weed on me.
To be real, I didn’t think weed was a big deal. Man, it’s San Francisco, you know? The hippies are the mayor. And in my neighborhood crack was everywhere, but I didn’t ever see the same thing with weed. There aren’t weed fiends. I’ve never seen anyone try to sell a TV for more weed.
I thought they’d maybe stomp it out, give me a warning, but I was arrested. And just based on the amount on me I was charged with distribution, even though I really wasn’t selling. I found out later from a cop who I’d known since I was a kid that it was a rookie who arrested me, and that was a classic rookie move. They all want to get promoted, so they’re trying to build that arrest record.
Having to tell my Mom that I’d be arrested was probably the hardest part, and she didn’t bail me out. Man, she was mad at me, and disappointing her hurt.
And then what do I do?
I always wanted to work with kids and athletics were a big part of my life so I tried to get a job helping coach high school football through someone I knew, but couldn’t. I tried youth programs, but they wouldn’t hire me because of my record.
So ironically, that’s when I started to sell weed. It seemed like the only way to be able to have some money. To be honest I probably could have tried even harder, but I was also 18, maybe 19. With the record it felt like, what’s the use in trying? You know?
Thankfully, that’s when I discovered this gym that was like one mile from my neighborhood and this whole boxing career took off. That really saved me, and so many people from the block never got that opportunity. A lot of ‘em are no longer with us.
Truthfully, I had this vision of becoming like Mayweather, really reaching the pinnacle and being able to open this huge community center. I’m proud of my career, but I didn’t really go like that.
Now though, the same arrest that almost derailed my life will now let me be a business owner and still reach that pinnacle, just by a different path. My Mom and Dad always taught me that you can leave the neighborhood, but then you’ve always got to bring it back to the neighborhood, and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.
