Roswell Encina: What a subway ride with white supremacists taught me about America

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What a subway ride with white supremacists taught me about America
Surrounded by masked Patriot Front members on the DC Metro, I considered what it means to be an American

By Roswell Encina
Published July 10, 2026 12:00PM (EDT)


(Salon) On the Fourth of July, while I was on my way to a party, I found myself riding a Washington Metro train surrounded by hundreds of masked white supremacists. A subway car is supposed to be one of society’s great equalizers. But it was the last place I expected to reflect on what it means to be an American.

A Getty Images photographer captured the moment. As far as I could see, I was the only unmasked person in the sea of Patriot Front members. I had my AirPods in, and my gingham shirt and bandana signaled I was ready to celebrate Independence Day. But my face and body language told a different story.



Within hours, the photographs had spread across social media and news outlets. Friends began texting. Reporters called. Many asked whether I had been frightened.

The honest answer is yes.

But after the initial shock faded, I realized the moment offered something else: an opportunity to talk about the country I love, the work still left to do, and why history and civics education matter now more than ever. ..................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/07/10/what-a-subway-ride-with-white-supremacists-taught-me-about-america/