White supremacist organizations have always understood the importance of symbols.

A robe can hide an individual while making him look like part of something larger.

A burning cross can turn darkness into theater.

A banner can make a small group look organized.

A public rally can transform fear into spectacle.

Hayes Pond reversed every one of those tools.

The darkness did not belong to the Klan once the light went out.

The banner did not belong to the Klan once Lumbee men carried it away.

The crowd did not belong to the organizers once Native residents outnumbered the people invited to hear the speeches.

The press did not belong to the Klan once the photographs showed retreat rather than dominance.