"Growing up in Detroit, I remember a time in junior high when a group of older boys came onto our playground looking for a fight, and to claim our grounds. They asked, "Who's the toughest kid here?" Someone pointed to a boy sitting quietly under a tree. The high schoolers sent word: We're here to kick your ass. Being nonviolent and a bridger does not mean that one is not willing to fight."
"The boy didn't move. When the message was delivered, he simply said, "Tell them, if you want to kick an ass, you have to bring an ass." That experience has stayed with me. It was a reminder that even when confronted, even when outnumbered, you don't surrender your ground without making it clear that those who come after you will know they've been in a fight."
"Today, as authoritarian movements gain ground across the world and here at home, that lesson feels urgent. When powerful forces seek to shrink the scope of democratic practice, to scapegoat the vulnerable, and to undermine belonging itself, our institutions and communities must remember that to defend what matters most, you have to show up. You cannot fold quietly and hope to be spared."
A childhood encounter on a Detroit playground shows older boys confronting younger students and a quiet boy signaling firm resistance, saying "if you want to kick an ass, you have to bring an ass." The moment illustrates that nonviolence and bridge-building do not equate to passivity; commitment to nonviolent values can coexist with willingness to defend one's ground. The anecdote connects to contemporary threats as authoritarian movements expand, warning that democratic practice, inclusion, and belonging require active defense. Institutions and communities must show up to protect vulnerable groups and contest who is counted in the "we."
Read at Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
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