4 January 29 - February 4, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents LIFT UP THY VOICE For many protesters in North Texas, the goal isn’t to start a revolution. It’s about one person making the most righteous noise they can. By kelly dearmore F or every historically significant protest over the past 250 years, there have likely been hundreds, if not thousands, of demonstrations that went unnoticed by many out- side the immediate area where the rally took place. For every March on Washington, there have been countless events near city halls and state capitols spreading the word about racial injustice on a local or regional level that haven’t become standard lessons in his- tory books. For every Stonewall Uprising, there have been scores of gatherings across the nation devoted to promoting LGBTQ+ rights that have not been seen as the tipping point for a new movement. For every Moratorium to End the War, there have been many more, smaller, less ambitious but no less passionate pleas to end military conflicts over the past few decades as the U.S. has sent troops to Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. For every group of Silent Sentinels, there have been less heralded, untold throngs of women and allies marching for women’s and reproductive rights in conservative states such as Texas. Since the Jan. 20, 2025, inauguration of President Donald Trump, a new, impas- sioned round of protests of all sizes for an ar- ray of causes has swallowed busy intersections, courthouse lawns, city hall plazas and downtown streets of North Texas in a regularly occurring way that hasn’t been seen for at least some time, if ever. North Texas is expansive enough that demonstrations often take different forms. Colorful signs and shouting marchers aren’t always needed to make one’s voice heard. As the battle over whether Dallas should allow short-term rentals to operate in sin- gle-family neighborhoods has continued over the past few years, a large group of res- idents has filled City Hall’s council cham- bers, sporting matching T-shirts with “Homes Not Hotels” on the front. Each Monday, a small group of pastors meets to form a public prayer circle in front of the Dallas ICE field office, in plain view of those driving along Interstate 35, to pray for the safety, fair treatment and dignity of ICE detainees. Not every local protest event is a multi- city effort spearheaded by a national organi- zation, as the attention-grabbing No Kings and Hands Off! have been. Opposing Trump, ICE, the wars in Ukraine or Pales- tine and even Elon Musk have brought sometimes thousands together, or some- times just a single soul with a handwritten sign out into the streets. But when many of today’s most pressing troubles seem overwhelming or simply too big or too far away to tackle, why is it that so many locals take the time to lift their voices? Changing the course of history on a grand scale isn’t necessarily what many North Texas activists are trying to do; their aim is of- ten much more humble, but they feel their ef- forts, even solo ventures, can have an outsized effect on how our world moves forward. ‘The Right Thing To Do’ I t doesn’t take long for Samantha Mitch- ell to explain why she began taking part in protests. “It’s the right thing to do,” she says. Since 2016, she has helped lead Indivisi- ble Dallas, a grassroots, volunteer-led orga- nization “dedicated to defending democracy and defeating authoritarian- ism” that collaborates with other local groups on events across Dallas. Mitchell has seen the steps taken by na- tional and state officials against people who do not look like her, were not raised like her nor have ever lived near her. She acknowl- edges her privilege while letting the past in- form her present efforts. “I was raised by a nanny fleeing violence in El Salvador, a woman who left her own children behind in part to care for me and earn enough money to send for them,” she says. “I was taught to read and to write by a Black teacher from Nigeria. I grew up with family friends from Mexico City who taught me Spanish and how to season my food. Queer and trans people throughout my life made me feel seen, understood, worthy and loved as a human, just as I am, expecting nothing in return. … I feel it’s not just my right to voice dissent in the face of threats to Patrick Williams | UNFAIR PARK | Criticism of ICE raids was widespread at the Dallas No Kings protest in October 2025, both at the podium and among the packed crowd.
