A State of Quiet Courage

Though Arkansas rivers run blue, its counties run red. And yet, on Flag Day, 28 communities dissented.

Protesters gather in Eureka Springs, AR on Flag Day.

There are places in our country where protests are common. And then, there are places where they are not. The rolling hills of Arkansas are one such place.

Nestled among its emerald-green mountains are hundreds of communities. On any given week, protest signs or overpass banners appear in just five to seven cities. Though its rivers run blue through its hollers and hills, its counties run red.

That is until last Saturday.

On June 14, a coalition of progressive organizers coordinated protests across 28 cities in a statewide initiative titled Liberty and Justice for All Arkansans. The steps of courthouses became the backdrop for their rallies, a choice intended to highlight the unequal application of justice across our country. The grassroots events were planned by Arkansans committed to democracy, including chapters of Indivisible Little Rock Central Arkansas and Indivisible Northwest Arkansas.

Among the 28 cities, my data shows that 12 had not held a protest in the past year. In Mena—a county where Trump won 84% of the vote in 2024—13 people gathered. They began their protest in the rain, yet by the time it ended, the clouds had parted, poetic.

In Paris, four people protested. It was their faith that drew them to the steps of the county seat that day. Rev. Dawn Chesser recounted an interaction with a lifelong resident of Logan County. He shared that their gathering of four was the first protest he had ever witnessed in Paris. “He stated he had been a Trump supporter in 2016, but was no longer because he felt like the current administration is mostly corrupt and in it for financial gain,” said Dawn.

Protester gather in Paris, AR on June 14. Photograph courtesy of Rev. Dawn Chesser.

Most places I report on expect honks of support, as well as a few hecklers. Not in rural Arkansas. In Leslie, the 13 protesters were surprised when passersby waved in solidarity. In Yellville, 10 participants counted 170 honks.

In reports from Hardy, Jasper, and Harrison, a theme emerged—camaraderie. For some of the 30 people in Hardy, meeting like-minded neighbors was described as deeply moving. Though participants in Jasper felt fear, they brought their signs and flags all the same. On those sidewalks, they found community.

An organizer from Harrison shared this exchange: “One lady that had moved to this area said she was so glad to have found other people like her. She thought there weren’t any.”

As I wrote this article, a lump sat in my throat. Every form of protest requires courage. However, being one of only a handful of people in an echo chamber of opposition demands an audacious resolve I cannot help but admire.

Over the past year, I have heard countless stories of a handful becoming hundreds. I’ve witnessed a solitary biweekly protest grow into dozens of weekly rallies across a region. It has taught me that a movement begins as a moment. Was Flag Day that moment for Arkansas? I hope so.

Thank you to the organizers who shared their stories, especially Lisa with Indivisible NWA. If you are in Arkansas and want to connect with the organizers, I have linked them here:

Indivisible Little Rock and Central Arkansas
Hot Springs Village Coalition
Indivisible Ozarks North Central Arkansas
Indivisible Polk County Arkansas
Indivisible at the University of Arkansas
Indivisible Eureka Springs
Indivisible NWA
Collective Voices
Forward Fort Smith
Ozark Forward
The People’s Protests and Marches