Stand Ten Toes In

What’s stayed with me wasn’t the aggression from them—armed, loud, and emboldened by their numbers. That was normal. It was a friend of mine, someone I stood beside that entire day.

During the George Floyd protests in 2020, I had the chance to work alongside a group called Whites Against Racism. Our role was de-escalation—standing between far-right agitators and the people who deserved to be heard…

I remember this particular event in 2021: a Land Run awareness protest where Native American elders and Black Lives Matter leaders were speaking. Groups like the Proud Boys and Cowboy Militia showed up, trying to intimidate and disrupt.

What’s stayed with me wasn’t the aggression from them—armed, loud, and emboldened by their numbers. That was normal. It was a friend of mine, someone I stood beside that entire day. She couldn’t have been taller than 5’3”, but she never backed down. For seven hours, she faced off with men twice her size, some carrying knives. They yelled at her, mocked her, tried to get under her skin—but she never blinked. And the truth is, they were the ones unsettled.

At one point, I saw a couple watching her from behind the Proud Boys. They looked confused—like they didn’t understand what they were seeing. Eventually, they leaned in and asked her, “Why are you here?” She quietly pulled them aside under a nearby tree. And somehow, in the middle of all the noise, they had a real conversation. By the time the protest ended, that couple hugged her, thanked her, and told her they understood things more clearly now. We talked about it at dinner that night, holding onto it as the silver lining in an emotionally draining day.

Last year, a family member—after a few drinks—told me, “I love that you’re passionate, but you gotta stop the whole ‘Whites Against Racism’ thing.”

First off, no. I’m going to keep wearing this shirt until it falls apart. I think about the difference between those two people all the time.

I hope more of us find the courage that my friend had that day. Because right now—we need more people willing to hold the line.

To show up, speak up, and stand firm, even when it’s uncomfortable.
We’re not going anywhere.

Dream Big, Act Bigger.