When the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce faced backlash for supporting racial equity, local activists and businesses rallied in response. Through a Unity Walk and targeted outreach, they turned opposition into an opportunity to grow minority business membership and strengthen community support. The effort didn’t silence the Chamber—it emboldened their commitment to justice.

A week after taking office in 2017, then President Donald Trump issued the “Muslim Ban,” an executive order which immediately halted travel from seven predominantly muslim countries. As a result, people around the world were stranded in airports and legal residents of the US were being unlawfully detained by their government. The response was swift; a mass of people flooded to airports to show solidarity and reveal to the wider world the harmful and discriminatory nature of the act.

In 2019, Eli Bazan’s all-ages drag show in Colorado received an influx of hate mail that included death threats and plans to lock the doors and burn the building. In response Bazan stood guard at the event, and continued to do so at following events, recruiting a growing group of volunteers seeking to protect LGBTQ+ youth events and the families that attended them.  

Whitefish, Montana, a town of about 8000 people, is known for its natural beauty and occasional celebrity sightings. In 2017, it received national news coverage when neo-Nazis were planning an armed march on Martin Luther King Day to promote white supremacy. A community group called “Love Lives Here” took a stand. 

Far-right riots in the UK tried to spread fear and division, but organizers and communities fought back. Through counter-protests, rebuilding efforts, and mass mobilization, anti-racism organizers made it clear—hate will not go unchallenged. By the next wave of planned demonstrations, they had flipped the script: the far-right was outnumbered, and their violence exposed.

When white supremacists tried to spread fear in Springfield, Ohio, the Haitian community and its allies refused to back down. Through public rallies, economic support, and legal action, they countered racist disinformation with solidarity and truth. The fight isn’t over, but Springfield’s resistance has sent a clear message—intimidation won’t work here.

Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss faced relentless threats and racist disinformation for simply doing their jobs as election workers. But instead of backing down, they fought back—exposing lies, winning in court, and proving that truth still holds power. Their courage is now a beacon for election workers everywhere, showing that no amount of intimidation can erase democracy.