A historically Black town in Ohio is taking protection into its own hands after a neo-Nazi rally sent shockwaves through the community. Residents of Lincoln Heights have been arming themselves and patrolling their neighborhood, determined to ensure that hate has no home there.
Source: Stephanie Keith / Getty
On Feb. 7, a group of armed and masked neo-Nazis appeared at the border of Lincoln Heights and Evendale, just outside of Cincinnati. But their attempt at intimidation didn’t last long—residents weren’t having it.
According to Hip Hop Wired, the rally took place on the I-75 overpass, where Lincoln Heights residents confronted the hate group and ran them out of town. But while the neo-Nazis may have left, their impact lingered, pushing residents to take action.
In the days that followed, community members found Ku Klux Klan flyers promoting the KKK’s 160th anniversary scattered throughout Lincoln Heights and surrounding areas. Per WKRC Local 12, video footage even caught a man tossing the racist flyers from his car. Residents stopped him at a traffic stop, recording the incident and turning the footage over to Local 12 News.
Now, Lincoln Heights has taken matters into its own hands. The Lincoln Heights Safety and Watch (SAW) Program, formerly known as The Protectors, has organized armed patrols throughout the neighborhood under Ohio’s open-carry law.
Daronce Daniels, a SAW Program spokesperson, told The Washington Post, “An American individual protecting his homeland with a firearm—I thought that was the most American thing that we [could] do.”
The group has even set up checkpoints around Lincoln Heights to keep watch for any more white supremacist activity.
While Lincoln Heights is stepping up its own defense, local leaders are demanding accountability from law enforcement.
According to WKRC, Lincoln Heights Mayor Ruby Kinsey Mumphrey said she was shut out of discussions regarding an investigation into the Evendale police’s response to the rally. Now, activists are demanding changes, including:
Daronce Daniels put it bluntly, asking, “It isn’t just about who we are protecting. From an American standpoint, who are we defending—Nazi terrorists or American citizens?”
For many, the real concern is the community’s children, who were the first to spot the neo-Nazis. According to Hip Hop Wired, a local teacher, DeRonda Calhoun, shared her first-encounter with the rally.
“The way I found out that the Nazis were in my neighborhood was through children,” said Calhoun, “They were afraid.”
At a press conference on February 24, faith leaders and activists described how the terror of the rally has lingered. Carlton Collins of The Heights Movement recalled a harrowing moment when a mother mistook her own 14-year-old son for an intruder.
“She runs into her other son’s room—he’s 14—but he’s not there. She grabs a weapon to confront the man, only to find out it’s her 14-year-old son. He had five knives strapped to his body and said he needed to defend his family. Is that what we want?”
In response, The Heights Movement has secured funding for mental health services to support children affected by the traumatic event.
The village currently pays $1 million for the sheriff’s office services—but that cost is rising, and Lincoln Heights leaders are questioning if they’re really getting the protection they need.
Mayor Mumphrey and other officials are now discussing restarting the Lincoln Heights Police Department, which was disbanded in 2014.
While the neo-Nazis may have been chased away, Lincoln Heights is keeping its guard up. SAW members say they plan to patrol indefinitely, ensuring that their community remains safe from hate.
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