Buzz
Our natural instinct for survival often advises against confronting a dangerous mob. While most would likely stay silent or even join in, a few fearless individuals rise to the challenge—and triumph.
10. Keshia Thomas
In June 1996, two opposing rallies took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One was hosted by the Ku Klux Klan, and the other, a counter-protest, was so much larger that police in riot gear had to protect the Klansmen.
The two groups did not engage in conflict. However, the larger protest noticed a middle-aged man in their midst wearing an SS tattoo and a Confederate flag T-shirt. Assuming he was a white supremacist or Klansman, they attempted to leave, but the crowd surrounded him, knocked him to the ground, and began attacking him with their placards.
At that moment, Keshia Thomas, a black high school student and one of the protesters, threw herself on top of the man, shielding him with her body. The crowd stopped the assault. Police later commented that he was fortunate to have survived with only a bloody nose.
Thomas later shared that her own experiences with violence motivated her to intervene, not wanting others to endure the same fate. Her conviction was confirmed when the man's son expressed gratitude months later. For Thomas, it was a moment of breaking the cycle of violence and revenge.
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9. Margaret Sylvester
Margaret Sylvester, a prominent figure in Augusta, Georgia's high society, is most remembered for her courageous actions during the 1909 Railroad Strike in the state. The strike saw white firemen protesting against black replacements, which led to sporadic outbreaks of violence. Among the victims was black fireman Joe Bryant.
On May 31, Bryant was severely injured but managed to escape a white mob intent on lynching him in the rail yards. As the mob pursued him, he reached Sylvester’s home, where she quickly brought him inside for safety.
Despite the mob’s efforts to find him, Sylvester stood firm and warned them that she was ready to shoot anyone who attempted to cross her. The mob retreated, and Sylvester ensured that Bryant received medical attention for his injuries.
8. Virginia Mayhew
A skilled practitioner of the Japanese martial art Aikido, Virginia Mayhew opened a school in Kowloon, Hong Kong in the 1960s, where she regularly taught and performed demonstrations. During one of her sessions, she demonstrated moves capable of injuring opponents, explaining that such techniques went against the true spirit of martial arts. However, one man in the audience appeared to relish watching these dangerous moves, prompting Mayhew to kick him out of her class.
In 1967, amid the chaos of communist riots in Hong Kong, Mayhew spotted a mob attacking a lone riot policeman. Upon recognizing him as the same man she had thrown out of her class, Mayhew leaped into action, saving his life by knocking down his attackers. The mob, now fearful, scattered and made way for the policeman to reunite with his comrades.
Mayhew soon realized the man’s actions in her class were driven by his unique circumstances—as a riot policeman, violence had been an unavoidable part of his job. She apologized for having expelled him earlier and offered to take him on as a private student.
7. Tulja Bai
In October 2008, communal violence erupted in the impoverished town of Bhainsa, India, where Tulja Bai lived. When the nearly 70-year-old Hindu grandmother saw a drunken mob setting fire to the house of her Muslim neighbors, she immediately sprang into action, rescuing the family along with her own.
After ensuring the safety of the rescued family by bringing them to her home, Tulja Bai and her family managed to put out the fire, despite the mob’s attempts to stop them by snatching away their buckets of water. For her courageous actions, Tulja Bai received a public citation and a cash reward from government officials. The determined elderly woman humbly explained her bravery, stating that helping a neighbor in need was simply the right thing to do.
6. Hawa Abdi
In May 2010, Somali militants took Hawa Abdi hostage and demanded that she hand over her community to them. The physician and humanitarian, who had founded a settlement for over 90,000 people, one of Somalia’s few safe havens, was enraged. She wasn’t about to let her life’s work fall into the hands of ruthless killers.
Known affectionately as “Mama Hawa” by her community, she finally reached her breaking point after seven days of captivity. With a parental scolding, she managed to convince the militants to release her. Hawa didn’t stop there, though—she demanded they write her a letter of apology, which they surprisingly did.
Her daughter, in awe of her bravery, commented that this might have been the first time in history that Somali militants apologized for their actions.
5. Antonia Brenner
Antonia Brenner had already been involved in charity work in California during the 1960s, but a visit to the notorious La Mesa Prison in Tijuana, Mexico, strengthened her resolve to help those in need. Leaving behind her luxurious California life, she moved to the prison, where she founded a ministry for the inmates. Her compassion and care won the affection of the prisoners, who lovingly called her “Mother Antonia.”
The prisoners’ respect for her was particularly clear during a Halloween riot in 1994. Brenner, undeterred by the chaos, fearlessly walked through the compound and convinced the rioters to put down their weapons, assuring them she would help voice their grievances to the prison officials. The prisoners agreed, and the potential bloodshed was avoided.
Brenner dedicated her life to philanthropy until her passing in 2013, receiving accolades from global leaders and religious figures alike for her tireless efforts.
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4. James Brown
The day after Martin Luther King’s assassination, racial tensions were at a boiling point across the United States, and in Boston, officials were debating whether to allow James Brown to perform his scheduled concert at the Garden. While the show could incite a riot, canceling it seemed an even greater risk. Ultimately, Mayor Kevin White decided to allow the performance.
On the night of the concert, Brown, alongside Mayor White, addressed the crowd of 2,000 predominantly black attendees, urging them to maintain peace in honor of Dr. King’s legacy. Brown reassured them by encouraging trust in the mayor, affectionately calling him a “swingin’ cat.”
The intervention worked. Together, they managed to calm a tense situation, and Brown went on to perform his iconic hits. As a result, Boston avoided the widespread riots that devastated other parts of the country.
3. Reverend Benny Newton
On his way to a peace rally during the chaotic 1992 Los Angeles riots, Reverend Benny Newton witnessed a black mob savagely attacking truck driver Fidel Lopez. The attackers had battered Lopez to a bloody mess, painted his face and genitals black, and were about to set him on fire when Newton, holding his bible, bravely intervened, declaring that they would have to kill him as well.
The mob retreated, allowing Newton to help Lopez back to his home. The reverend also risked his life by taking Lopez to the hospital when no ambulance was available. The two would later form a lasting friendship, with Lopez visiting Newton regularly for years to come.
2. Joshua Norton
Although universally regarded as eccentric, Joshua Norton—the man who declared himself Emperor of the United States—became one of San Francisco's most iconic and cherished personalities. Before his self-appointment, Norton was an English entrepreneur who arrived in the city in the 1840s. He sought to strike it rich, but a series of poor investments and legal disputes led him to lose both his fortune and his grip on reality.
After some time in obscurity, Norton resurfaced in the 1850s, now claiming to be a royal figure who surveyed public buildings and offices. His outlandish actions won over the locals, who embraced him as a genuine monarch.
Norton’s popularity proved valuable during the anti-Chinese riots that shook the city in the 1860s. On one occasion, he witnessed a mob preparing to lynch a group of Chinese immigrants. With authority befitting his self-appointed title, Norton intervened by commanding the mob to recite the Lord’s Prayer. He then dispersed them, offering a sermon on the importance of tolerance.
Norton remained beloved by San Francisco until his passing in 1860. His funeral procession was attended by an astonishing 30,000 mourners.
1. Reverend Wade Watts
Reverend Wade Watts, a courageous and steadfast man, encountered KKK leader Johnny Lee Clary during a radio debate in 1979. Despite Clary's extreme hostility, Watts assured him that he could never harbor hatred, no matter what actions Clary might take against him.
Clary’s followers tested Watts' resolve. They defaced his property, made threatening phone calls, and even set his church on fire, but the resilient minister stood his ground.
Frustrated, Clary gathered 30 of his followers and confronted Watts in a restaurant. With a plate of chicken in front of him, Clary threatened, “We’re gonna do the same thing to you that you do to that chicken.” He expected Watts to be intimidated into abandoning his meal. Instead, Watts kissed the chicken.
Laughter erupted from everyone, even the Klansmen. Clary, now enraged, began yelling at his own men, but the laughter continued, and from that moment, the KKK never bothered Watts again.
Eventually, a disillusioned Clary distanced himself from the Klan and forged a friendship with Watts. Since then, he has dedicated himself to educating and helping individuals leave hate groups behind.
