This may be the image that defines America's 250th birthday.
A woman sits calmly on a Washington Metro train as masked members of the white nationalist and domestic terrorist group Patriot Front surround her.
They covered their faces.
She didn't.
Earlier in the day, Patriot Front marched through the nation's capital carrying Confederate flags and chanting that America must be "reclaimed," the latest expression of a white nationalist movement that has grown increasingly visible, violent, emboldened, and politically influential in recent years.
Their ideology is explicit.
Their courage, apparently, is not.
Not one of them was willing to show his face.
And then there is her.
No mask. No uniform. No fear.
Just an American woman refusing to surrender an inch of her dignity to a group of men who appeared to be seeking exactly that.
The symbolism is almost too perfect.
250 years after the Declaration of Independence, and six decades after Americans marched and died to make its promises apply to everyone, a group of masked white nationalists rode the socialist Metro home in anonymity.
The woman they tried to intimidate is the one America will remember.
The people who hide their faces do not define this country.
The people who refuse to be afraid do.
The world is here, and Philadelphia is ready.
We welcomed the first fans to our free @FWC26Philly Fan Festival at Lemon Hill as supporters gathered to cheer on their teams and watch Mexico take on South Africa. 🇲🇽🇿🇦
More than 15,000 fans registered for opening day, a sign of the excitement surrounding this historic moment for our city.
For the next 39 days, Lemon Hill will become a gathering place for the world. Fans from every corner of the globe will come together to celebrate their teams, share their cultures, and experience Philadelphia at its best.
Bring your family. Bring your flag. Bring your neighbors.
This is our moment to show the world who we are. And we don’t do anything halfway.
Let’s go, Philly.
#OnePhilly #FIFAWorldCup