If things start percolating at a rally, protest, march or polling site in Wilmington, NC, there’s a good chance you’ll see a hulking man with flowing silvery locks somewhere near the mix. His imposing stature and hair make Denny Best — or, “Papa Bear,” as he is affectionately called around town — instantly recognizable. As does the bright yellow Peace Monitor shirt Denny wears when he patrols events around town for trouble makers.
But Denny doesn’t use physical force or intimidation to keep the peace. He relies on de-escalation tactics, like a calm, steady voice, a friendly smile, an approachable demeanor, and an occasional cigarette, to lower tensions and pacify potentially explosive situations.
Papa Bear has been a steady presence on the Wilmington protest scene for roughly 15 years. For much of that time, peace monitoring had been a solo pursuit for Denny. A few years ago, however, that began to change.
Last summer, Denny was joined by more than 30 of his friends from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wilmington, NC (UUCWNC) at The Long March for Unity and Justice, a multi-city trek organized by the late Rev. Nelson Johnson and the Beloved Community Center. Denny’s Peace Monitors took on the job of March Marshalls, patrolling the perimeter of the rally along the route to help ensure safety for participants as they completed the last leg of the statewide journey in the port city.
One of those friends in a yellow shirt was Peter Rawitsch. Peter, a member of the UUCWNC’s Social Justice Ministry, first saw Denny in action during the pandemic at a contentious school board meeting debate about policies relating to trans kids. Papa Bear had placed himself as a barrier between two opposing groups. That struck Peter as incredibly courageous.
“Here was this guy with a yellow shirt and red letters that said “Peace Monitor,” trying to keep two very vocal groups at a safe distance from each other,” recalls Peter. “And I thought ‘well, that’s kind of interesting, he’s all by himself. What does he think he can do?’”
Two years later, after completing a de-escalation training by Blueprint NC and procuring his own yellow shirt, Peter decided to join Denny as a Peace Monitor. Then, another member of the Social Justice Ministry, Dr. Michael Sheridan, began to accompany the duo at an occasional rally or event. Soon after, Denny had a committed following.
Today, the Peace Monitors have a leadership core of about 10 members – many from the UU congregation – and dozens of trained volunteers ready to deploy their de-escalation training whenever the need arises. For many, this isn’t the role they ever thought they’d take on in the movement.
The group now enjoys the benefits of real organization, with members establishing vetting processes for new Peace Monitors and guidelines for selecting which events to attend. And there is plenty for the Peace Monitors to do. This August alone, their presence has been requested by event organizers at more than a dozen actions around Wilmington.
Demand is high. That’s been one of the challenges in recent months. That’s why the group is mobilizing to grow its ranks, hosting three orientation sessions for new members.
“People certainly have a right to express themselves. We want to make sure that it doesn’t get out of hand,” says Peter. “And hopefully [we] can use some of our de-escalation skills to help them breathe, to move them to a different place, but most importantly, just to listen and to be present for them as they work through their emotions.”
Volunteers are trained in a few core practices, starting with the essential principles of de-escalatory action. New members are also taught tactics like parasol patrol – the use of umbrellas or other objects to obscure the view of opposition groups – and corking – blocking off road intersections ahead of a rally procession.
When deployed to an escalated situation, Peace Monitors are instructed to observe, recognize participants who intend to be disruptive, and employ their de-escalations training as necessary. The goal in approaching an agitated participant is to listen and re-direct hostility or aggression into more productive or benign actions. Simply put, the job is to keep things calm.
Peace monitoring does require steely nerves, at times. But not all de-escalation actions are fraught with tension. Just as often, Peace Monitors are out there creating and contributing to a more joyous atmosphere through music and song, humor and friendly banter. After all, it’s harder to start trouble when everybody is having a good time.